Listen, People. The Vikings QB2 Thing Is Simple.
The Minnesota Vikings have signed zero backup quarterbacks this offseason aside from Brett Rypien, entering a 2025 campaign when 22-year-old J.J. McCarthy will take the reins of the QB1 job.
Listen, People. The Vikings QB2 Thing Is Simple.
Because McCarthy is so inexperienced and tore his meniscus last August, most believed in January and February that Minnesota would sign a fancy veteran quarterback to mentor the youngster and serve as a dependable, win-a-few-games-if-needed option.
But Minnesota has done none of that. The only non-McCarthy quarterback is Rypien.
And here’s why it’s “taking so long” for an extra QB2.
Expect a QB2 Signing after the Draft
Let’s make this crystal clear: if general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah signed a backup quarterback today to a standard contract, the deal would cancel a compensatory draft pick for Minnesota in 2026 — probably a 3rd- or 4th-Round pick.
The Vikings do not want to lose a valuable mid-round draft selection just because they chose to add Desmond Ridder, for example, on April 16th.
Such a move would be gridiron malpractice, losing a possible 3rd-Rounder because of a player like Ridder, who nobody even wants to see on the field in 2025.
Soon after the 2025 NFL Draft, Adofo-Mensah can sign any QB2, at any price, and preserve the 2026 compensatory pick. It’s a waiting game. And it’s smart to wait. Fans should applaud the front office’s patience and have some of their own.
Conversely, ask yourself this: Would I rather have Minnesota sign Joe Flacco last weekend — or mid-round draft pick next April? The choice should be straightforward. A 21-year-old rookie in 2026 is wiser than 40-year-old Flacco.
Outrage after Every QB Signing
One by one, backup quarterbacks have flown off the open market, and each time, social media users have accused Minnesota of “doing nothing,” or “Ope, there goes another one. What are they waiting for?”
They’re waiting intelligently, avoiding the cancellation of the compensatory pick. Minnesota knows it can always find a QB2, especially when the guy coaching him, Kevin O’Connell, is the “quarterback whisperer.” O’Connell can cook with just about anybody.
Carson Wentz Will Do the Trick
When the draft ends, Minnesota can pick up the phone and call Carson Wentz’s agent. He can agree to a one-year deal worth $6 million or so, and the pandemonium will be over. Crisis averted.
Adofo-Mensah would lose his draft pick if he signed Wentz tomorrow. He doesn’t want to lose his draft pick.
The Kansas City Chiefs trusted Wentz with the QB2 job in 2024, supporting Patrick Mahomes in the AFC West, the man also known as the best football player on earth. If Wentz was good enough for the Chiefs, he’ll be just fine as the Vikings’ secondary option.
Wentz, at the moment, should be considered Minnesota’s failsafe.
Ryan Tannehill an Option, Too
Tannehill is also an option, though he may not be an extreme priority because he can be signed right now without affecting the 2026 compensatory formula. He didn’t play in 2024 and hence carries no compensatory value.
Some credible rumors suggested a few weeks ago that Minnesota might be interested in Tannehill, so with a week before the draft, perhaps Tannehill is the backup to the primary QB2 option, whether that’s Wentz or a trade.
Speaking of trades …
Trade Options
Four quarterbacks live in Minnesota’s trade rumor mill, at least to some extent, through April 16th: Aidan O’Connell (Las Vegas Raiders), Sam Howell (Seattle Seahawks), Will Levis (Tennessee Titans), and Kirk Cousins (Atlanta Falcons).
All are viable options and men who could hold down the fort if McCarthy missed time. Any trades for those four would likely occur during the draft, yet another reason to explain “why it’s taking so long.” April trades are somewhat rare before the draft, as most general managers prefer to do trade business during the event.
O’Connell, Howell, Levis, and Cousins can be snatched for a late-round draft pick. Ideally, Minnesota will simply sign Wentz or Tannehill, which will cost zero draft picks, but the fallback option is a trade.
It’s worth noting that Cousins is probably a longshot — because why would he leave a QB2 job in Atlanta for a lateral QB2 job in Minnesota? The man has a no-trade clause, vintage Cousins behavior.
The Late Summer QB2 Market
Remember the summer of 2022? Newly-hired Kevin O’Connell decided Kellen Mond and Sean Mannion were not productive QB2 options. Adofo-Mensah then sent a 7th-Rounder to the Raiders for Nick Mullens, who would later stay attached to Minnesota’s roster orbit as QB2 and QB3 for three seasons.
The leadership regime problem-solved then, and they’ll do it again this summer, if necessary.
What’s more, at least a half-dozen intriguing QB2 options will hit open free agency after roster trimdowns in late August, and if the Vikings dragged this uncertainty through the summer, there’s yet another safety valve in late August.
There are always backup quarterbacks on the open market. Always.
Worrying about It Is Futile
Minnesota doesn’t have a missed alarm regarding this QB2 situation. They’re aware of the stakes. They know McCarthy is young and recovering from an injury.
When adding a QB2 doesn’t subtract future draft picks, the Vikings will get their man, and folks will look back on early April and wonder just why in the hell they worried about it in the first place.
It doesn’t make sense to tout a “quarterback whisperer” head coach and then worry about the backup quarterback.
You must be logged in to post a comment.