ESPN Pushes New QB Narrative for the 2026 Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings have eight games remaining in 2025, but according to ESPN, the club should already have another viable quarterback option on its mind behind J.J. McCarthy for 2026.
ESPN is nudging the Vikings toward a new QB storyline for 2026, suggesting Minnesota may need real competition behind J.J. McCarthy.
Bill Barnwell sized up the league’s upcoming quarterback carousel this week, nominating Minnesota for an impactful QB2 who can compete with McCarthy and serve as a dependable alternative.
ESPN Says Vikings Will Need Another Proven QB Next Year
The debate will be “QB2 vs. Competition.”
Bill Barnwell on Vikings’ 2026 QB Strategy
Analyzing what players might go where and which teams need what next offseason, Barnwell arrived at the Vikings this week.
He wrote, “The Vikings, of course, are both more invested in McCarthy’s success and have more information than all of us on the outside.”
“Kevin O’Connell has seen how McCarthy has played in practice and has the best sense of how McCarthy is actually running each of the concepts we see play out on Sunday. I’d still be surprised if the Vikings really knew, even privately, whether McCarthy was going to pan out as their starter of the future … because again, it has been four starts.”
Minnesota has a 2-2 record on McCarthy’s watch, as the young signal-caller has shown flashes of brilliance in addition to in-game inconsistencies.
Barnwell continued, “What does seem clear, though, is that the Vikings should be more aggressive in having someone behind McCarthy to both compete with him for the starting job in 2026 and fill in for the 2024 first-round pick in case he battles more injuries. Darnold was the Minnesota quarterback in 2024 and performed admirably in McCarthy’s absence, but Carson Wentz wasn’t quite as effective while dealing with his shoulder injury this season.”
“The Vikings acquired Sam Howell and then moved on from him without ever seeing him play in a regular-season game; I’d expect a more reliable veteran to be the No. 2 option in 2026.”
There you have it from the worldwide leader: Minnesota needs a bonafide second option, not just a clipboard holder.
McCarthy’s Injury History as the Main Concern
Why another quarterback? It’s pretty damn straightforward: McCarthy missed his whole rookie season with a torn meniscus and five games in Year No. 2 with a high ankle sprain. Even if McCarthy starts playing like Patrick Mahomes in the season’s final eight games, Minnesota will need a battle-tested QB2 option, just in case McCarthy’s injury resume lengthens.
Whether that’s a true competitor for McCarthy — like Anthony Richardson, for example — is debatable. McCarthy may progress and develop — that’s what quarterbacks do — in the next two months to give the Vikings front office and coaching staff assurances once again that he’s their guy.
Barnwell, on the other hand, suggested another quarterback to battle with McCarthy next summer.
Young vs. Old?
Attacking this will be intriguing for the Vikings. They could sign an “old” passer like Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, Jimmy Garoppolo, or Carson Wentz and call it good. That’s probably the most likely option.
Otherwise, players like the aforementioned Richardson, Will Levis in Tennessee, or even Kyler Murray (if the Cardinals start over in the offseason) could turn heads for a 2026 summer quarterback competition.
It’s worth noting that Minnesota also has undrafted rookie quarterback Max Brosmer on the current roster. The franchise may hold him in high esteem — enough to be the guy who challenges McCarthy.
What about the Draft?
Finally, there’s the draft. This class has sweet-and-salty options, known a few months ago for its quarterback depth but later shrinking in prestige after three months of college football have played out.
There’s a world where a) McCarthy flounders down the stretch of 2025 b) Gets hurt — and the Vikings spend a draft pick on a quarterback to hedge the bet. McCarthy’s finish to the season would have to be pretty gruesome or injury-riddled, but the possibility cannot be ruled out in either scenario.
More from Barnwell
Barnwell also noted on the McCarthy experience: “It seems impossible and unrealistic to render meaningful judgment from the outside about McCarthy right now. He has started a total of four pro games in two years. He was good enough in the final quarter of the first one to win Offensive Player of the Week in the NFC.”
“Has McCarthy played well? No. He’s completing less than 54% of his passes, throwing interceptions 5.6% of the time and taking sacks on over 12% of his dropbacks. Any of those stats would be disqualifying as an NFL starter. Having all of them together is disastrous. McCarthy’s average pass is traveling a league-high 10.1 yards in the air, which partially explains the completion percentage, but he’s running a minus-5.3% completion percentage over expectation (CPOE), which would be ahead of only Trevor Lawrence and Caleb Williams among quarterbacks with 100 pass attempts or more (per NFL Next Gen Stats).”
All McCarthy must do to subdue conversations like Barnwell’s is play well in the next eight games. Simple as that.
“Have there been positives? Of course. McCarthy has been effective as a scrambler. He has made some impressive throws, and he has been an above-average intermediate passer (in the 10-19 air yard range), running a 105.6 passer rating and an 11.9% CPOE in a place where most young quarterbacks often struggle to be comfortable,” Barnwell added.
“Every McCarthy start manages to fuel both sides of the debate. Both his supporters and the skeptics usually get meaningful plays that back up their feelings about the second-year quarterback.”
McCarthy will take the field this Sunday at home against Caleb Williams and the Bears. His team can even its record to 5-5.
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