During their press conferences to wrap up the 2025 season and look ahead, Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah were both asked about quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
Adofo-Mensah's response when he was asked if he wanted McCarthy to be the starting quarterback next season was particularly interesting.
"I want the Vikings to achieve our goals, and I think one of those goals is to make playoff runs and do different things like that. I think he has the character and ability to be the person and do that for our organization. If I say that in 2026, that kind of binds us into a certain area."
"The way we've set this team up, we built this corridor, really like we've always talked about, give ourselves multiple shots at it, because you never know when there's going to be a year where the field feels a little bit wide open and you can make that run.
"So, that's what we're really focused on talking about. Whether it's this year or next year isn't really my immediate reflection. It's my job to really bring that deep, competitive room that we've talked about to the Vikings."
That was a long-winded way to dodge directly answering the question, and to practically say no, depending on the available options. There will be some level of competition added around McCarthy this offseason, and who that ends up being directly correlates to his level of job security.
On one end of the spectrum, there are outright replacement options Vikings fans are dreaming about (Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson).
More realistically, there are veterans in free agency, or possibly the trade market, who would compete with McCarthy and ostensibly have a chance to beat him out for the starting job. At minimum, a veteran of this ilk would be a viable option if McCarthy plays poorly or struggles to stay healthy again next season.
Predicted Minnesota Vikings' offseason quarterback addition might be perfect
Matt Johnson of Sportsnaut recently offered some early predictions for the 2026 NFL quarterback carousel. The Vikings were naturally among the teams in that mix.
"The Minnesota Vikings are not going to pursue a quarterback who would be viewed as a serious challenger to J.J. McCarthy in training camp. What Kevin O’Connell wants is a veteran who can, if needed, come off the bench and play effectively within the structure of the offense."
"Look at what Marcus Mariota has done in the last two seasons when Jayden Daniels was sidelined. Across 14 games, he posted a 93.4 passer rating with a 14-7 touchdown-to-interception line, a 63.8 percent completion rate and 7.6 yards per attempt. Plus, he offers rushing ability. He is an ideal and cost-effective option for Minnesota. If McCarthy struggles early next season, the offense could improve with Mariota under center."
Mariota indeed played pretty well for Washington over the last two seasons when Jayden Daniels missed time, most notably including eight starts this season. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft is, of course, up in age a bit now (32), but as Johnson referenced, he has not lost his running ability (50 carries for 297 yards with a touchdown this season).
Mariota also has a notable history with O'Connell.
Before and after becoming the Cleveland Browns' quarterbacks coach in 2015, the Vikings' head coach worked as a private quarterback tutor, and Mariota was one of his pupils. That work included orchestrating Mariota's throwing session during his Pro Day at the University of Oregon.
As the Vikings survey the quarterback market, the combination of reasonable cost, experience, and familiarity with an important person in the organization uniquely aligns with Mariota. Even considering what his other options could be on the open market, it'd be hard to find a better fit than reuniting with his former tutor.