If there were a perfect solution to the quarterback uncertainty that the Minnesota Vikings are currently dealing with, it would likely be a trade for Cincinnati Bengals signal-caller Joe Burrow this offseason.
That's at least what some Vikings fans have been thinking ever since some rumors about Minnesota being interested in trading for Burrow began to recently pop up online. They've been nothing more than the typical crazy offseason rumors, but it's still been enough to create a buzz within the Vikings fan base.
Unfortunately, Bengals running back Chase Brown recently spoke to CBS Sports' Bryan DeArdo about the possibility of Burrow playing elsewhere in 2026, and he was quick to ruin Minnesota's hopes and dreams.
"Joe's not going anywhere. I think [his end-of-season comments were] totally blown out of proportion. It was definitely a good talking point for people.
...It gave the media a lot to talk about and probably made [Burrow's] Twitter notifications go off, but Joe's not going anywhere."
Cincinnati Bengals teammate closes door on hope for Minnesota Vikings to trade for Joe Burrow
Despite Burrow expressing his unhappiness with how Cincinnati's 2025 season came to a close, it doesn't seem like anyone with the Bengals is interested in trading him elsewhere this year.
Of course, it's fun that there are rumors about the Vikings wanting to make a deal for the Cincinnati quarterback. But it feels incredibly unlikely that it's something that will actually become a reality this offseason.
Instead, Minnesota needs to focus its attention on finding potential solutions for its quarterback room that are more realistic. And whether people like it or not, most of these solutions will probably result in J.J. McCarthy beginning the 2026 season as the Vikings' Week 1 starter once again.
This isn't to say Minnesota shouldn't add a more proven signal-caller to its roster this year as insurance for a possible McCarthy injury or as a possible mid-season replacement.
But for a Vikings team that is currently projected to be almost $50 million over the 2026 salary cap, they don't have a ton of paths to take when it comes to figuring out their quarterback situation this offseason.
Now, there's still plenty of time for things to change during the next few months. But as January is about to come to a close, the odds of Borrow suiting up for Minnesota in 2026 are about the same as they are for Patrick Mahomes and Joe Montana.