J.J. McCarthy is the new starting quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings. That was re-emphasized earlier this week to help quiet all of the Aaron Rodgers rumors, and now the Vikings are focused on adding a veteran passer to be the team's No. 2 quarterback behind McCarthy next season.
As each day goes by, however, it seems like at least one notable free-agent signal-caller is removed from the list of possibilities for Minnesota, and on Friday, it happened again as Jameis Winston agreed to a contract with the New York Giants.
According to ESPN's Jordan Raanan, Winston and the Giants have reportedly agreed to a two-year deal worth $8 million.
He was one of the more talented quarterback options left in free agency, and his contract is one that the Vikings could have easily afforded. So, it seems pretty clear that Minnesota didn't have much interest, if any, in signing Winston to be McCarthy's backup.
Which free-agent quarterbacks are left for the Minnesota Vikings after Jameis Winston signed with the New York Giants?
Whether it's being done purposely or not, the Vikings have continued to hold onto their money and watch as the list of free-agent quarterback options gets smaller and smaller.
With Winston now no longer an option, some of the top remaining signal-callers left in the current free-agency pool are Ryan Tannehill, Drew Lock, Trey Lance, Carson Wentz, Joe Flacco, Case Keenum, and Tyler Huntley. Teams aren't exactly racing to sign any of these guys, so maybe that's why Minnesota is okay with taking its time when it comes to finding McCarthy a backup.
There's also the possibility of the Vikings trading for someone this offseason to be the team's new No. 2 quarterback. But that seems like something that might not happen until after the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft when teams add new players to their quarterback rooms.
While Minnesota fans would love for the team to just add a new signal-caller sooner rather than later so that all of the quarterback speculation can disappear, unfortunately, there's nothing that really points to the team's search coming to an end anytime soon.