Fallout From Vikings’ Kyler Murray Signing; Team To Re-Sign Carson Wentz?
The Vikings entered the offseason seeking competition for quarterback J.J. McCarthy, whose first year as a starter went awry. They found it in signing former Cardinals franchise signal-caller Kyler Murray to a one-year, prove-it deal last Wednesday.
Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort tried to find a trade partner for Murray before releasing him, but it was too difficult to pull off because of the two-time Pro Bowler’s bloated contract. Had Murray been on someone’s roster on March 15, $19.5MM of his 2027 salary would have vested. Nobody was willing to take that chance on Murray, who struggled during a limited 2025. He played just five games, none after Week 5, as a result of a Lisfranc injury.
Murray’s tenure in Arizona did not go as planned, though the 2019 No. 1 overall pick was open to staying there before the team released him. While Murray was “genuinely surprised” the Cardinals fired head coach Jonathan Gannon, he approved of the hiring of Mike LaFleur as his replacement, Albert Breer of SI.com writes. But it turns out Murray will not play for LaFleur, who will try to lead a franchise turnaround after Gannon mustered a disastrous 15-36 record in three years.
By the time the Cardinals officially cut Murray last Wednesday, he and agent Erik Burkhardt had already identified the Vikings as their ideal option, per Breer. Vikings executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski and head coach Kevin O’Connell quickly invited Murray and Burkhardt to Minnesota for a visit.
Murray was among a “handful” of experienced signal-callers the Vikings studied, according to Breer, but it appealed to both team and player that he could be more than a one-year solution. An inexpensive pact between the sides came together in short order, which prevented other clubs from meeting with Murray.
“O’Connell made sure he got first crack at him,” one GM told Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom.
Set to turn 29 in August, Murray is not the Vikings’ QB1 yet. He still has to beat out McCarthy, 23, for the role. Although the Vikings invested the 10th pick in the 2024 draft on McCarthy, multiple “high-level NFL offensive coaches” informed La Canfora that they expect Murray to win the job. If that happens, the O’Connell-led Vikings will hope for a Sam Darnold-like revival from Murray.
Darnold resurrected his career during his one season in Minnesota in 2024, but with the Vikings ready to turn the keys over to McCarthy, they let him walk in free agency a year ago. He went on to win a Super Bowl with the Seahawks in 2025, while the Vikings fell from 14-3 to 9-8 and missed the playoffs. McCarthy posted rough numbers over 10 starts and missed seven games with injuries to his ankle, head and hand.
While Murray and McCarthy will do battle this summer, they may have company in Minnesota’s QB derby. Carson Wentz, who spent 2025 with the Vikings, is among free agent possibilities. Even after the Vikings added Murray, there is “mutual interest” between the team and Wentz, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.
Wentz, a late-August signing last year, filled in for an injured McCarthy for five starts. The 33-year-old journeyman was the more productive of the pair, but he underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in late October. Wentz’s injury left McCarthy and overmatched rookie Max Brosmer as the Vikings’ starting QB choices for the rest of a disappointing campaign.
Vikings Expected To Pursue Kyler Murray
The Cardinals are expected to part ways with Kyler Murray, but he is unlikely to be out of a job for long. The NFL’s quarterback carousel will ensure that the former No. 1 pick has multiple suitors, with the Vikings expected to be among them.
Minnesota is exploring alternatives to J.J. McCarthy this offseason, but they are doing so with a very tight salary cap picture. That makes Murray especially appealing, as he will be available for the veteran minimum with Arizona still paying out his remaining guaranteed salary.
Indeed, the 28-year-old is “at — or near — the top of the Vikings’ list,” according to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. Though the team is not completely out on McCarthy, they are also open to adding a clear, instant upgrade as opposed to competition for the starting job.
Murray would fall into the first category with 87 starts and two Pro Bowls under his belt. He has spent much of the last four years injured, but put up a solid performance in 2024, his only fully-healthy season since 2020. After seeing Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones parlay stints with the Vikings into starting jobs elsewhere, Murray will likely be open to, if not interested in throwing passes to Justin Jefferson in Kevin O’Connell‘s offense.
Success with Murray could set him up for a multi-year payday, similar to refurbished passers like Darnold and Baker Mayfield. The Vikings opted not to retain Darnold after he led them to a 14-3 record in 2024, but their waning faith in McCarthy and change at general manager could lead them down a different path with Murray. Minnesota could decline McCarthy’s fifth-year option next offseason – making him a potential reclamation project for another team – and, like the Buccaneers with Mayfield, charge into the future with their new veteran quarterback.
Vikings Considering Kyler Murray, Geno Smith; Team Interested In Tua Tagovailoa?
We have been hearing for some time that the Vikings plan to add competition for quarterback J.J. McCarthy this offseason. During a recent appearance on the Scoop City podcast, Dianna Russini of The Athletic threw cold water on the notion that a Minnesota-Kirk Cousins reunion could be in the cards, though she did acknowledge that the Vikes could look to add to their QB room (video link).
Russini reiterated Minnesota still wants to develop McCarthy in the hopes that he can live up to his first-round draft status, and ESPN’s Dan Graziano likewise confirms the Vikings are not ready to give up on the Michigan product. Still, the club seems to want to make McCarthy earn the starting job in 2026, and in addition to Cousins, names like Kyler Murray and Anthony Richardson have been floated as possibilities.
There may be mutual interest between the Vikings and Richardson, who would be acquired via trade with the Colts. As ESPN’s Kevin Seifert noted last month, a trade could be the most likely way for Minnesota to add McCarthy competition, because a free agent with options may not want to sign without assurances that they will be given first crack at the QB1 role. Other trade possibilities, per Graziano, include the Eagles’ Tanner McKee and the Texans’ Davis Mills.
Mills was linked to the Vikings in a November report, just like Murray was. Graziano says signs continue to point to a Murray release, which means he will be a free agent in short order (and therefore may not want to hitch his wagon to a team that still has high hopes for its incumbent starter).
Just as Arizona is likely to cut Murray, the Dolphins are expected to release Tua Tagovailoa in the near future, with Graziano confirming the cut will likely be made with a post-June 1 designation. With respect to their possible free agent targets, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (in the same Graziano piece linked above) reports the Vikings have Murray and the Raiders’ Geno Smith in their first tier of preferred options, with Cousins and Tagovailoa in the second tier.
Smith, though, may not make it to the open market. As our Nikhil Mehta recently suggested, it may behoove the Raiders to retain Smith as a mentor for Fernando Mendoza, whom Las Vegas is all but certain to select with the top pick in this year’s draft. Per Graziano, coaches from multiple QB-needy outfits are anxious to see if the Raiders will release Smith, as they believe the 35-year-old was held back by the Silver-and-Black’s offensive system in 2025. The Raiders may feel the same and could therefore keep Smith in the fold.
If they do choose to part ways, Fowler believes the Vikings make plenty of sense as a landing spot. He adds that many quarterbacks view Minnesota as an attractive destination, likely due to the presence of head coach Kevin O’Connell and wide receiver Justin Jefferson (though again, it is possible that McCarthy and Minnesota’s hopes for him could act as something of a deterrent).
It still seems fair to expect the Vikings to add a QB. Whether they can lure a high-profile player like Murray or Tagovailoa or will need to execute a trade for a passer like Mills or McKee is the question.
Reunion Between Kirk Cousins, Vikings Gaining Momentum?
The Vikings’ desire to add competition for quarterback J.J. McCarthy could lead them back to old friend Kirk Cousins. With the Falcons expected to release Cousins in the next few weeks, he could be free to sign anywhere soon.
There is “growing sentiment” among NFL executives in the QB market that Cousins will rejoin the Vikings, Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom reports. The move would reunite the 37-year-old with head coach Kevin O’Connell, who had success with Cousins in the past.
In 2022, the Vikings’ first season under O’Connell, Cousins threw for 4,547 yards and 29 touchdowns on his way his fourth and most recent Pro Bowl nod. The Vikings went 13-4 and won the NFC North, but a 9-7-1 Giants team upended them in the wild-card round.
Statistically, Cousins got off to an even better start in 2023. However, a Week 8 Achilles tear wound up ending his Vikings tenure.
With Cousins hitting free agency during the ensuing offseason, the Vikings tried but failed to re-sign him. They were unwilling to give Cousins full guarantees through 2025. That wasn’t going to fly for Cousins, who went on to accept the Falcons’ Godfather offer of four years, $180MM and $100MM in guarantees.
A month and a half after adding Cousins, Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot took another enormous gamble in drafting former Indiana and Washington signal-caller Michael Penix Jr. eighth overall. It came as a major surprise, and Cousins later revealed he may have re-signed with the Vikings had he known the Falcons would draft Penix.
“It felt like I had been a little bit misled or certainly if I had had the information around free agency, it would have affected my decision,” Cousins said last summer. “I had no reason to leave Minnesota, as much as we loved it there, if both teams were drafting a quarterback high.”
Despite Fontenot’s efforts, the Falcons still don’t have a clear answer at QB. Cousins struggled to regain form in the first year of his contract, leading head coach Raheem Morris to bench him for Penix ahead of Week 16. The Falcons were 7-7 and fighting for a playoff spot when Morris made the change. They finished 1-2 under Penix and missed the postseason for the seventh straight year.
Penix remained Atlanta’s starter entering last season, but it proved to be another rough season for the club. The Falcons went 8-9 again, and the oft-injured Penix was inconsistent before suffering a partially torn ACL in Week 11. The Falcons were 3-7 at the time. Cousins quarterbacked them to a 5-2 mark to wrap up the season, but it wasn’t enough to save Fontenot or Morris. Owner Arthur Blank fired the pair and replaced them with a new regime of president of football Matt Ryan, GM Ian Cunningham and head coach Kevin Stefanski.
A couple days after ousting Fontenot and Morris, the Falcons reworked Cousins’ contract, which signaled a forthcoming release. If Cousins is still a Falcon on the third day of the league year, he’ll earn a guaranteed $67.9MM for 2027. The restructuring also includes an $80MM poison pill for March 13, according to La Canfora. Considering the language in his deal, he’s as good as gone. The Falcons would take on a $35MM dead cap charge in designating Cousins a post-June 1 release, but they’d spread that over two seasons ($22.5MM in 2026, $12.5MM in ’27). The team would also save $2.1MM in cap room next season.
As is the case with the Falcons and Penix, the Vikings don’t know if they have the solution in their own 2024 first-round passer. Two picks after Penix came off the board, the Vikings selected McCarthy 10th overall.
A year after winning the national championship at Michigan, McCarthy missed his entire rookie campaign with a torn meniscus. The Vikings didn’t miss a beat without McCarthy, though, as veteran Sam Darnold revived his career during a 14-win outburst.
After their season ended with an ugly wild-card round loss to the Rams, the Vikings didn’t retain Darnold. They also couldn’t prevent late-season backup acquisition Daniel Jones from leaving for a chance to start in Indianapolis. Darnold walked in free agency for the Seahawks’ three-year, $100.5MM offer. One season later, Darnold and the Seahawks are Super Bowl champions. Jones had a terrific year in his own right before it ended with a torn Achilles in Week 14.
Meanwhile, the Vikings are coming off a nine-win season in which poor QB play torpedoed their chances of earning a playoff berth. McCarthy posted subpar numbers over 10 starts, and three injuries – a high ankle sprain, a concussion and a hairline fracture in his right hand – kept him out of seven games. The Vikings have since fired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, the GM who drafted McCarthy.
“They can say what they want publicly, but they have some serious questions about McCarthy,” one GM told La Canfora.
Vikings executive vice president Rob Brzezinski is now their interim GM, but O’Connell wields plenty of decision-making power. If he regards Cousins as an ideal veteran to place in the QB room with McCarthy, a reunion could be in store.
Vikings Expect QB Competition In 2026
Although he missed his entire rookie campaign with a torn meniscus in his right knee, Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy entered 2025 as the team’s unquestioned starter. After the former Michigan Wolverine’s first year at the helm didn’t go as planned, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell revealed that they expect to bring in competition for McCarthy in the offseason.
Adofo-Mensah used the 10th overall pick on McCarthy two years ago. However, when meeting with the media on Tuesday, he stopped short of guaranteeing the 22-year-old a starting job in 2026 (via Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune).
Asked if he wants McCarthy to start next season, Adofo-Mensah said: “I want the Vikings to achieve our goals. And I think one of those goals is to make playoff runs. I think he has the character and ability to be the person to do that. If I say that in 2026, that kind of binds us into a certain area.”
On the possibility of a quarterback competition, O’Connell stated (via Rob Kleifield of the team’s website): “I think there has to be. That’s what’s going to make everybody better in that room. It’s going to be what makes our entire offense thrive through that competition.”
With McCarthy on the shelf a year ago, the Vikings turned to a battle-tested veteran option in Sam Darnold. Even If McCarthy didn’t go down with his injury in the preseason, the plan was always for Darnold to at least start 2024 under center. It couldn’t have gone much better for the Vikings, who stunningly finished 14-3 under Darnold.
Despite fizzling out in the playoffs, Darnold went on to land a three-year, $100.5MM contract with the Seahawks in free agency last March. With the Seahawks now sitting as the No. 1 seed in the NFC heading into the divisional round, Darnold proved his 2024 breakout wasn’t a fluke.
The Vikings, on the other hand, didn’t get much from their quarterbacks during a 9-8 year in which they failed to reach the postseason. Three different injuries – a high ankle sprain, a concussion and a hairline fracture in his right hand – limited McCarthy to 10 games. While the Vikings went 6-4 in his starts, McCarthy threw more interceptions (12) than touchdowns (11). He completed just 57.6% of passes while ranking near the bottom in the league in traditional passer rating (72.6) and QBR (35.7).
Late-August free agent pickup Carson Wentz arguably performed better than McCarthy in his five starts, but a shoulder injury knocked him out for the year in late October. With McCarthy and Wentz unavailable, the Vikings had to turn to undrafted rookie Max Brosmer for two starts. Brosmer fared horribly in those outings, which is part of the reason the Vikings will have to look outside for QB help in the coming months.
If the Vikings had been successful in their attempt to to re-sign Daniel Jones last year, they’d have been in better position to handle McCarthy’s performance- and injury-related struggles in 2025. But Jones, who ended 2024 in Minnesota after flaming out with the Giants, accepted the Colts’ less lucrative offer because he saw a clearer path to playing time in Indianapolis. It wound up as a wise decision for Jones, who revived his career before tearing his Achilles in early December.
Despite a major injury, Jones is a strong bet to earn a much richer deal than the one-year, $14MM pact he signed with the Colts last offseason. While Jones is interested in re-signing with the Colts, he could end up back on the Vikings’ radar if he reaches free agency in March.
Wentz, Kyler Murray, Tua Tagovailoa, Mac Jones, Geno Smith, Malik Willis, Aaron Rodgers (who held talks with the Vikings a year ago), ex-Viking Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson, Joe Flacco, Justin Fields and Anthony Richardson are among other signal-callers facing uncertain futures as either trade candidates, release possibilities or soon-to-be free agents. Depending on how aggressive the Vikings are at the position in the offseason, any of those passers could fit into their plans.
Adofo-Mensah noted the Vikings are still “excited about where [McCarthy] can go.” That suggests they may not make a significant splash under center, but their handling of the game’s most important position will be a key offseason storyline.
Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy To Miss Week 17 With Hairline Fracture In Hand
Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy suffered a hairline fracture in his right hand in Week 16, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports. He’ll miss this Thursday’s game against the Lions as a result.
McCarthy will not require surgery, but his status for Week 18 is in question, head coach Kevin O’Connell announced (via Matthew Coller). With that in mind, it’s possible McCarthy’s season is over.
McCarthy went 9 for 14 for 108 yards and an interception before exiting early in a 16-13 win over the Giants last Sunday. Undrafted rookie Max Brosmer finished the game. He’ll start in Week 17 against a Detroit team clinging to slim playoff hopes.
Brosmer made the first start of his career in Week 13 in Seattle, which trounced Minnesota 26-0. The Seahawks picked off Brosmer four times and held him to 126 yards on 19 of 30 passing.
This is the latest in a growing line of injuries for McCarthy, a former Michigan national champion whom the Vikings chose 10th overall in 2024. McCarthy missed his entire rookie season after tearing his right meniscus. The Vikings had a capable veteran on hand in Sam Darnold, who enjoyed a long-awaited breakthrough season. Although Minnesota finished an excellent 14-3, the team let Darnold walk in free agency in the wake of a blowout loss to the Rams in the wild-card round.
After inking a three-year, $100.5MM deal with the Seahawks, Darnold has transferred his 2024 success to Seattle. He has been among the NFL’s most effective signal-callers for the second year in a row, and the Seahawks are currently the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
Meanwhile, thanks in part to subpar QB play, the Vikings are 7-8 and out of playoff contention. The team tried last offseason to retain Daniel Jones, who ended 2024 as a Darnold backup, but he took a lesser offer from the Colts. Jones’ thinking was he’d have a clearer path to playing time in Indianapolis, which proved true.
The Vikings entered the season committed to McCarthy, though they added a credible No. 2 in Carson Wentz in late August. McCarthy’s run as their starter hasn’t gone according to plan so far. The 22-year-old already missed a combined six games with a high ankle sprain and a concussion before going down with a hand injury. When healthy, McCarthy has completed just 57.3% of throws with 6.6 yards per attempt, 11 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and a 71.2 passer rating. His 33.9 QBR ranks 31st among 32 qualifying signal-callers. Wentz out-performed McCarthy before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery in late October.
Considering McCarthy’s on-field struggles and expansive injury history, the Vikings may require him to compete for the starting job in 2026. Depending how aggressive the Vikings are in looking for a quarterback in the offseason, the aforementioned Daniel Jones, Wentz, Tua Tagovailoa, Kyler Murray, Mac Jones, Anthony Richardson, Aaron Rodgers, and Joe Flacco are among pending free agents or trade candidates who could pique the interest of O’Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy Clears Concussion Protocol, Expected To Play This Weekend
J.J. McCarthy should be back in the lineup when the Vikings take the field this weekend. According to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, the quarterback has cleared concussion protocol and is expected to slot back into the starting lineup for Sunday’s matchup against the Commanders.
McCarthy suffered his concussion back in Week 12 and was forced to miss his team’s Week 13 loss to the Seahawks. The 2024 first-round pick seemed to be trending towards a return. Coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters earlier this week that the second-year pro was symptom free, but he had to get through Wednesday’s practice without any setbacks (per Emily Leiker of The Minnesota Star Tribune). McCarthy ended up being a full participant during that session, opening the door for his return.
As Seifert notes, the Vikings are hoping McCarthy can remain in the lineup for the remainder of the season as they evaluate his progress ahead of the 2026 campaign. O’Connell also told reporters that he’s no longer focused on his young quarterback improving mechanics, with the coaching staff instead concentrating on the player’s decision making and ability to avoid hard contact. McCarthy also suffered a high ankle sprain earlier this season that sidelined him for more than a month.
After missing his entire rookie campaign due to a torn meniscus, McCarthy has struggled during his first season as a starter. The Vikings have gone 2-4 in the QB’s six starts, with McCarthy completing only 54.1 percent of his passes while tossing six touchdowns vs. 10 interceptions. The Michigan product blamed his tendency to “overthink” things for his inconsistency.
“Just worrying about things,” he said (via Seifert). “Like on the 12th hole, you’re not going to switch up your golf swing and stuff like that. But there’s always ways to refine it. There’s always little mental cues that you’re going to take throughout that game. But yeah, the mechanics thing … it’s always going to be a continued process to grow and be as efficient as possible.”
While Vikings fans have naturally grown impatient with the QB’s progress, they got a taste of the alternative last weekend. Max Brosmer filled in for his teammate and proceeded to toss four interceptions in a shutout loss. That performance may have afforded McCarthy a bit more leeway as the starter, but the organization will be hyper focused on his play down the stretch as they determine the best path forward at the position.
Vikings To Consider Competition For QB J.J. McCarthy In 2026?
The Vikings allowed quarterbacks Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones to depart in free agency this offseason, underscoring their faith in 2024 first-rounder J.J. McCarthy. While Minnesota wanted an experienced backup behind McCarthy – which explains the club’s April acquisition of Sam Howell and the signing of Carson Wentz after Howell was traded in August – neither of those players was seen as a threat to McCarthy’s starting job. In 2026, the Vikes could be looking for someone who will actually push the Michigan product for the QB1 role.
Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, multiple league insiders suggest Minnesota may follow the QB blueprint the Colts took during the 2025 offseason. In other words, the Vikings could acquire a veteran or reclamation project to compete with McCarthy, in much the same way Indianapolis signed Jones to battle with Anthony Richardson, the No. 4 overall choice of the 2023 draft. Jones, who had washed out with the Giants, found new life in Indiana and is in line for another lucrative, multiyear deal (or at least the hefty $46.1MM franchise tag) in 2026.
[RELATED: Vikings, Seahawks Made Similar Darnold Offers]
Fowler says Jones remains an ideal fit for the Vikings, who could make a run at their former backup if the Colts are unable or unwilling to keep him off the market. Fowler also names the 49ers’ Mac Jones and the Texans’ Davis Mills as possible Minnesota targets. Both of those players were once viewed as potential franchise quarterbacks, and while Jones’ tenure in New England and Mills’ stint as Houston’s full-time starter did not end well, they both have built some trade value this season thanks to their efforts in relief of their respective clubs’ top signal-callers.
Mills, 27, has not been a world-beater during C.J. Stroud’s time in the concussion protocol, but he has led Houston to a 3-0 record in the games he has started, throwing five touchdowns against one interception in the process. Mac Jones, meanwhile, went 5-3 as a starter with Brock Purdy on the shelf, posting a completion percentage of 69.6% (fourth-highest in the league) and a 97.4 quarterback rating. He generally looked like the player who finished second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2021, and while both he and Mills are under contract through 2026, they both could be trade targets of teams like Minnesota (Fowler says the Niners could even fetch a Day 2 pick for Mac Jones).
Kyler Murray, who may already have taken his last snap for the Cardinals, and (interestingly enough) Richardson also fit the mold of players the Vikings could consider, as Fowler notes. The ESPN scribe says Minnesota head coach Kevin O’Connell has respect for Richardson, who has expressed interest in playing under an offense-oriented HC, specifically Sean McVay or someone from his coaching tree (like O’Connell).
If the Vikings instead consider a player closer to the end of their career, Aaron Rodgers and Joe Flacco might be options (Minnesota spoke with Flacco this offseason, and Rodgers made it known the Vikes were his preferred landing spot). Likewise, a reunion with Wentz could be on the table, per Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports.
Wentz, who will turn 32 next month, had several strong showings earlier this year when McCarthy was sidelined with an ankle sprain. Unfortunately, a shoulder injury he sustained in Week 5 derailed his next two starts and brought a premature end to his season. Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune says Wentz’s shoulder surgery went well, so if O’Connell liked what he saw from the former MVP candidate, he could return in at least a backup capacity, or even as competition for McCarthy.
After missing all of his rookie campaign due to injury, McCarthy has struggled with more health issues this season. He missed five games due to the above-mentioned ankle sprain, and he will be sidelined for his team’s Week 13 contest while going through the concussion protocol. When he has been on the field, he has not played particularly well, completing only 54.1% of his pass attempts and throwing 10 interceptions and just six touchdowns en route to a 2-4 record.
Thanks in large part to McCarthy’s struggles, elite wideout Justin Jefferson has posted a career-low yards-per-game average (72.3) and catch percentage (60.6%). The two-time First Team All-Pro nonetheless offered public support for his young passer.
“It’s early,” Jefferson said (via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert). “He’s new to the game. He’s new to the NFL. He’s learning just like everyone else has to learn as a rookie, and he obviously had to go through the mental stage of having to overcome an injury the first year. So just a tough transition for him. But I feel like just him learning these past couple games, and of course learning [during] the stretch of this season, I feel like he’s going to bounce back in a different way than everybody else is going to think so.”
Veteran running back Aaron Jones expressed a similar sentiment, saying, “I told [McCarthy] that the ones who counted you out, they’re going to have to recount.”
While McCarthy is sidelined, UDFA rookie Max Brosmer will get the first start(s) of his career. A strong performance could at least put him in consideration for an extended run in 2026.
Vikings Rule Out QB J.J. McCarthy; Max Brosmer To Make First Start
The Vikings have ruled out quarterback J.J. McCarthy for Sunday’s game against the Seahawks, per a team announcement, setting undrafted rookie Max Brosmer up for his first NFL start.
The Vikings will also elevate former Rams quarterback John Wolford from the practice squad to serve as Brosmer’s backup.
McCarthy was placed in concussion protocol after symptoms popped up on the Vikings’ flight home from their Week 12 loss to the Packers. He was a limited participant in practice this week but did not receive clearance to play on Sunday against the Packers. This will be McCarthy’s sixth absence this season after suffering a high ankle sprain in Week 2. He returned in Week 9 and started the next four games before going down once more.
As a result, Brosmer will make the first start of his career. He went undrafted in April and signed with the Vikings to compete with veteran Brett Rypien for the team’s QB3 job. Brosmer won and made the 53-man roster behind McCarthy and Carson Wentz, who was signed after prospective backup Sam Howell was traded to the Eagles.
Brosmer has played in three games this season amid the injuries to McCarthy and Wentz. He has taken only 19 snaps and thrown eight passes, five of which were completed for a total of 42 yards. Getting in a full week of practice with the Vikings’ starting offense may help the 24-year-old perform better in his first start.
Brosmer was a three-year starter for the New Hampshire Wildcats and led the FCS in 2023 with 3,464 yards and 29 touchdowns through the air. He transferred to the University of Minnesota in 2024 and put together a solid but unspectacular season, leading the Golden Gophers to a 8-5 record as a starter without notable individual stats. A strong showing in Week 13 (as well as any other appearances for the rest of the season) should position him to compete for the backup quarterback job next season.
McCarthy has struggled enough this year that Brosmer pushing him for the starting gig in 2026 feels within the realm of possibility, too. Vikings head coach Kevin McConnell‘s former boss, Kyle Shanahan, went to an unheralded young quarterback to replace his handpicked top-10 selection once it became clear that Brock Purdy offered more than Trey Lance. It’s not inconceivable that McConnell could find himself in the same position next year.
Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy In Concussion Protocol
J.J. McCarthy could be in line to miss further time this season. The first-year Vikings starter is in concussion protocol, head coach Kevin O’Connell announced.
O’Connell said (via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert) McCarthy reported symptoms during the flight home from yesterday’s loss. It is very rare for players to clear concussion protocol within one week, so at least one missed game should be expected. Turning to veteran Carson Wentz will not be an option, since he is recovering from season-ending shoulder surgery.
In the event McCarthy is unable to suit up for Week 13, it will be Max Brosmer getting the nod. The undrafted free agent has made four appearances so far during his rookie season, throwing eight passes. A first career start will be something to watch for over the coming days depending on McCarthy’s ability to clear the protocol.
The Vikings allowed Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones to depart in free agency this offseason. On both fronts, that came as little surprise given McCarthy’s presence. The 2024 first-rounder was sidelined for his entire rookie season while recovering from meniscus surgery. Expectations were nevertheless high in his case for the current campaign.
McCarthy has shown flashes at times when on the field, but largely speaking he has not produced as the Vikings hoped in 2025. The 22-year-old has completed only 54.1% of his pass attempts, throwing 10 interceptions and just six touchdowns. A high ankle sprain left McCarthy sidelined earlier in the year, leading to five straight Wentz starts.
As McCarthy recovered, Wentz played at well below full strength before ultimately undergoing surgery. That paved the way for McCarthy to handle QB1 duties the rest of the way, but a new injury threatens to once again result in missed time in this case. The Vikings have lost three straight games and they are now 4-7 as a result.
A playoff berth is likely unattainable at this point, but any late-season run will now presumably depend – at least for one week – on the outcome of Brosmer’s first career start. The Vikings will play the Seahawks on Sunday and are on track to do so with their third different QB starter of the season.