Prominent Voice Calls for Vikings QB Competition
Just when the Minnesota Vikings had taken their big swing at a quarterback of the future, one man thinks it’s time for an open competition to determine — you guessed it — a quarterback of the future. That’s the latest and greatest take from Pro Football Talk‘s Mike Florio, who called for an open competition at QB1 next offseason and summer.
A well-known NFL analyst believes the Vikings should open up a quarterback competition next offseason, putting pressure on J.J. McCarthy’s starting role.
The Vikings, meanwhile, will likely remain faithful to McCarthy’s development, refusing to abandon him after a season’s worth of starts.
Mike Florio Says Vikings Need Open QB Competition in 2026
Here we go again, eh?
The “Open Competition” Phase for McCarthy’s Career Trajectory
Florio kickstarted the offseason dialogue this week, claiming it’s time for Minnesota to ponder a world where multiple passers vie for the QB1 title, not just McCarthy.
He said on his show, “The Vikings need a quarterback competition. I think they need to sign somebody in the offseason, not as the ‘you’re going to be the starter and J.J.’s out. ‘I think they need to make him earn it against someone. They need him in day-to-day competition to push him toward his ceiling. And whatever his ceiling is, it is what it is.”
“Right now, I am concerned the ceiling isn’t where it needs to be because we can’t have one week where it all clicks. It’s not like he’s ever going to be a gunslinger. He’s never going to be Matthew Stafford. It’s going to be about what he can do at the right time — make the right play in the right spot. Sometimes we win, sometimes we don’t.”
McCarthy is under contract in Minnesota for two more seasons after 2025, and the club can pick up his fifth-year rookie option in 2028.
Florio added, “I think they need to be looking for somebody with a higher ceiling. So they need to either push him toward that higher ceiling internally or just pull the plug.”
Perhaps Just a Fantastic Backup?
In the most recent offseason, Minnesota didn’t seem to prioritize the QB2. For example, until the draft, Brett Rypien held the job, and he’s no longer anywhere near Minnesota’s roster. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah acquired Sam Howell via trade in the draft, a man who stuck around for four months before being shipped to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Adofo-Mensah later signed Carson Wentz, who played in five games this season before injuring his shoulder and ending his campaign.
In the 2026 offseason, mainly because of McCarthy’s injury resume, the Vikings should sign a trustworthy QB2 right away in free agency or acquire one via trade. Waiting until the draft for a Howell-type or rolling with a Rypien-caliber performer probably won’t cut it. Perhaps the club learned its lesson.
The Options in 2026
So, who’s it going to be?
If the Vikings take Florio’s path — sign or trade for a player who can battle McCarthy for the QB1 job — the list might look like this:
- Max Brosmer
- Kirk Cousins
- Mac Jones
- Trey Lance
- Will Levis
- Drew Lock
- Kyler Murray
- Aaron Rodgers
- Anthony Richardson
- Shedeur Sanders
And if Minnesota merely wants a dependable backup in 2026, these are the candidates via free agency or trade:
- Teddy Bridgewater
- Jake Browning
- Jimmy Garoppolo
- Joe Flacco
- Case Keenum
- Marcus Mariota
- Gardner Minshew
- Kenny Pickett
- Tyrod Taylor
- Mitchell Trubisky
- Carson Wentz
- Malik Willis
- Russell Wilson
- Zach Wilson
Final Eight Games of 2025 Should Tell on McCarthy
Minnesota will know much more about the stakes with McCarthy when the regular season ends. For now, the man has started four games, mixing the bitter and the sweet while his team has posted a 2-2 record on his watch.
First-time quarterbacks don’t typically reveals their true selves until around 250-300 passing attempts; McCarthy is just over 100 at the moment.
McCarthy could bedazzle the masses in the final nine games, prompting the club to invest in a QB2 like Gardner Minshew or Jimmy Garoppolo.
Or, if McCarthy stinks in the next two months, a man like Will Levis might make the most sense for a true 2026 competition — the one described by Florio.
Too, if McCarthy were to get hurt or very vividly not look the part of a franchise quarterback in 2025, Minnesota could explore the draft for a rookie and have the best of both worlds: two young quarterbacks in the chamber — three if you count Max Brosmer.
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