National Media Trashes Vikings’ Big Plan
The Minnesota Vikings have spent four offseasons leading to this moment: embarking on an era with a young quarterback on an affordable contract.
National Media Trashes Vikings’ Big Plan
The franchise parted ways with Kirk Cousins 14 months ago, drafting Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy as his successor and hoping to employ its first organically drafted, long-term passer since Daunte Culpepper — 25 years ago.
But there’s a problem, according to CBS Sports. The Vikings have the NFL’s fourth-worst quarterback room in the business.
CBS Sports Says Vikings Have 4th-Worst QB Room in NFL
Garrett Podell of CBS Sports listed the league’s ten worst QB units entering 2025, and Minnesota checked in on the naughty list as fourth worst.
Podell explained, “The Minnesota Vikings drafted J.J. McCarthy 10th overall out of Michigan with an eye on him being their starting quarterback in the future, and they let Sam Darnold walk this offseason to accelerate that timeline. However, it’s unclear how much faith they have in McCarthy fully being ready to roll in 2025 after tearing his meniscus in the 2024 preseason.”
“O’Connell confirmed Minnesota ‘evaluated’ Aaron Rodgers and is ‘hopeful’ McCarthy is the team’s starting quarterback. Not exactly a ringing endorsement. The Vikings acquired veteran quarterback Sam Howell during the 2025 NFL Draft along with a fifth-round pick (172nd overall) in exchange for the 142nd overall pick in the fifth round.”
Howell arrived after weeks of fans wondering when the club would add a different signal-caller to support McCarthy.
Podell added, “Howell started all 17 games for the Washington Commanders as a rookie in 2023, and he led the NFL with 612 pass attempts while playing on a team with the league’s worst defense. He also threw as many interceptions, 21 (most in the NFL), as touchdowns as a result of forcing the ball downfield to try and make up for the porous defense.”
“Brett Rypien is a journeyman, now on his third NFL team and has just four starts in 10 career games played. Minnesota signed rookie undrafted free agent Max Brosmer this offseason after he served as the Golden Gophers’ starting quarterback just down the road at the University of Minnesota.”
On the whole, Podell either isn’t impressed with McCarthy’s upside or refuses to give him the benefit of the doubt as an unknown. There’s no other explanation for Minnesota to possess the NFL’s fourth-worst batch of QBs.
Vikings Leaning into the Unknown after Years of Good-Not-Great
Minnesota employed the aforementioned Cousins for six seasons, only eeking by the Wildcard Round of the postseason once. Cousins provided stability and Top 15 quarterback performance, but the team could just never get over the hump, probably because it was challenging to fill out a sweet roster behind Cousins and his lofty contract.
So, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah proceeded boldly, letting Cousins walk to the Atlanta Falcons — where he’d get benched eight months later — and drafting McCarthy, his choice to change the narrative at quarterback for the future.
The problem? McCarthy tore his meniscus in his first-ever game last August, ending his rookie season.
Sink or Swim with J.J. McCarthy
Beginning now and lasting at least for the next few seasons, the Vikings will fundamentally sink or swim with McCarthy. He’s their guy, and the franchise will give him an honest-to-goodness audition to succeed.
The 22-year-old may not play as well as Sam Darnold, his substitute in 2024, who delivered 4,319 passing yards and 36 total touchdowns, but something in the ballpark, at least per efficiency, will be welcomed with open arms.
And if Adofo-Mensah got it wrong with McCarthy, well, he or a different general manager will try again in the draft about four years from now.
The Ideal Blueprint
McCarthy is affordable for the next four seasons. Adofo-Mensah can utilize his latest-and-greatest technique, spending big on free agents because McCarthy doesn’t cost as much as Cousins.
The blueprint has been used by the Kansas City Chiefs in the last half-decade, leading to a Super Bowl triumph in 2019. Others, like the Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills, have come somewhat close with a promising rookie quarterback on an affordable deal.
Minnesota wanted in on the fun and chose McCarthy accordingly.
Other Terrible QB Rooms per CBS Sports
Only three QB rooms are worse than Minnesota’s per Podell: the Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts, and Cleveland Browns.
Podell wrote about Pittsburgh in last place: “The Pittsburgh Steelers have the worst quarterback room in the entire NFL after completely turning over at the position in each of the last two years. Mason Rudolph, a third-round pick of the Steelers in 2018, returns home after a year away with the Tennessee Titans in 2024. He threw nine touchdowns and nine interceptions across eight played last season, which included five starts. Skylar Thompson comes to the Steelers after three seasons as Tua Tagovailoa’s backup with the Miami Dolphins.”
“Head coach Mike Tomlin ends up uninspired by both Rudolph and Thompson, which leads to Howard seizing the job after continuing the growth he showed as a passer as a Buckeye. That is unless Aaron Rodgers joins the team after visiting the team’s facility earlier in the offseason.”
Ironically, the Vikings and Steelers have the same win total forecast per oddsmakers this season — 8.5 wins.
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