It's certainly no secret that the biggest topic of conversation surrounding the Minnesota Vikings during the 2025 season was quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
McCarthy, of course, was selected with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft but became the first QB in NFL history taken in the first round to miss his entire rookie year due to injury after suffering a torn meniscus in his right knee during the preseason.
That injury, of course, paved the way for Sam Darnold to step up and have a career year in leading the Vikes to a 14-3 regular-season record, which earned him a three-year, $100.5 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks after Minnesota chose not to bring him back on the franchise tag.
With Darnold out of the picture, McCarthy took the reins at QB1 but struggled with injuries and inconsistency, missing seven games with various injuries and only completing 57.6 percent of his passes for 1,632 yards with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in the 10 games in which he did appear.
Naturally, many are calling for the Vikings to completely cut ties with McCarthy, which just isn't going to happen unless by some miracle the wild Joe Burrow rumors come to fruition. They won't, by the way. Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa have been mentioned in trade talks as well, but Minnesota doesn't need to be considering either at this point.
The other popular option is to bring in a lower-priced veteran (like Darnold was) to compete with McCarthy or at least just be there as a solid backup if he struggles again, with names like Mac Jones, Russell Wilson, and even Kirk Cousins being thrown around.
One name that hasn't been mentioned as much, however, is Jimmy Garoppolo, which is a bit surprising, as he would seemingly fit in very well in Minnesota.
Jimmy Garoppolo could be the perfect insurance behind Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy
A second-round pick of the New England Patriots in 2014, Garoppolo spent three-plus seasons backing up Tom Brady before being traded to the San Francisco 49ers midway through the 2017 campaign, ultimately going 5-0 down the stretch after taking over for C.J. Beathard.
Jimmy G spent the next five seasons with the Niners, and while he struggled with injuries at times, he went 38-17 in 55 regular-season starts and 4-2 in the postseason, ultimately helping San Francisco to two appearances in the NFC title game and a berth in Super Bowl 54.
And before his injury in the 2022 season, which opened the door for Brock Purdy's unlikely journey to stardom, Garoppolo went 7-3 while completing 67.2 percent of his passes for 2,437 yards with 16 touchdowns against only four interceptions.
Okay, so his stint with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023 went horribly, and he's spent the last two years backing up Matthew Stafford with the Los Angeles Rams.
But his time with Sean McVay would actually be helpful, as Kevin O'Connell obviously served as McVay's offensive coordinator for two years before becoming the Vikings' head coach in 2022.
Garoppolo has never been flashy, but when he's on, he's as consistent as they come, and maybe that's what the Vikings could use a little bit more of at this point. Is he the top option to bring in? Certainly not. But he's certainly one worth considering.