5 Contingency Plans for the Vikings if the Unthinkable Happened
J.J. McCarthy will embark on his second-ever preseason game this Saturday, playing pitch and catch against the Houston Texans at U.S. Bank Stadium.
If disaster strikes the Vikings, the team would need a quick pivot. Here are five potential contingency plans the team could consider if the unthinkable were to happen.
Last year in the preseason, McCarthy electrified fans — before tearing his meniscus and ending his rookie campaign.
So, as a worst-case scenario, what if that happened again? These are five contingency plans for the Vikings if so. No. 1 on the list is the best option.
Fail-Safe Plans for the Vikings if J.J. McCarthy Gets Hurt
Let’s hope these ideas just don’t matter in the long run.
5. Jameis Winston
Winston is involved in a summer quarterback competition with veteran Russell Wilson and rookie Jaxson Dart. The Giants really don’t need three starting-caliber quarterbacks. In fact, the group could get crowded and noisy before too long.
The Vikings could probably obtain Winston for a late-round draft pick, similar to most players on this list. Then, Minnesota would have all the darling Winston-related headlines, plus oodles of passing yards, touchdowns, and interceptions if he ever saw a regular season playing field.
4. Kirk Cousins
Some will cringe, and that is fine.
But if McCarthy tore his meniscus again or anything else, Kirk Cousins would be whisked to the front of the local and national discourse as a replacement. Cousins is stuck behind Michael Penix Jr. on the Atlanta Falcons’ depth chart and has been somewhat vocal about not enjoying that.
Cousins quarterbacked Minnesota for six seasons before leaving in free agency of 2024. Perhaps more than anyone in the world, he knows Kevin O’Connell’s offense.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could probably grab Cousins for the equivalent of a 5th-Round pick.
The Spun‘s Chris Rosvoglou claimed this week Cousins could end up with the Los Angeles Rams: “This didn’t seem like a possibility a few weeks ago, but it’s hard to ignore Matthew Stafford’s injury situation. Stafford is currently dealing with an aggravated disc in his back.”
“Rams coach Sean McVay claims the veteran quarterback would be cleared for action if the regular season started today, but this is a concerning situation nonetheless. The Rams have a proven backup in Jimmy Garoppolo, make no mistake. However, Cousins would present an upgrade over Garoppolo if Stafford has to miss time.”
3. A Chargers Backup QB
Trey Lance or Taylor Heinicke — those are Justin Herbert’s primary quarterback coworkers at the moment.
Lance played wonderfully for the Chargers to start the preseason slightly over a week ago, and Heinicke began his career in Minnesota. Either could fill in as QB1 in a pinch for Minnesota. Lance especially would provide noteworthy excitement.
2. Drew Lock
The big-armed Lock is a backup right now in Seattle to a familiar name: Sam Darnold.
The Seahawks also have 3rd-Round rookie Jalen Milroe on the depth chart, a rookie trending to earn the QB2 job in September. Truth be told, Seattle may have a fast hook to Milroe if Darnold starts playing like non-Vikings-Darnold.
Lock is another player the Vikings could’ve simply signed from free agency. Instead, they traded for his teammate, Sam Howell. But it’s clear that Minnesota and Seattle are no strangers to trade business.
SI.com‘s Tim Weaver called Lock a preseason “dud” this week: “While the run game looked like a well-oiled machine in the first half, Seattle’s returning backup quarterback Drew Lock showed a whole lot of rust when it came time to air the ball out.”
“On the first drive, Lock may have been able to lead rookie wide receiver Tory Horton into the end zone but he threw the wrong route by his own admission. Lock then followed that up with another bad throw that was picked off by Raiders safety Isaiah Pola-Mao. Lock finished the evening with an underwhelming line of 12/22 for 147 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT and a 71.6 passer rating.”
His stock may be low.
1. Zach Wilson
Miami may be in no hurry to offload Wilson. It just signed him, and Tua Tagovailoa is notoriously injury-prone.
Still, a McCarthy injury would thrust Minnesota into action, exploring the NFL market for all possibilities. Wilson’s arm talent and mobility might jell nicely with O’Connell’s mentorship.
Palm Beach Post‘s Hal Habib wrote about Wilson and the Dolphins’ quarterback this week: “Stock up. QBs Tua Tagovailoa, Zach Wilson, Quinn Ewers. Consider this an ‘equal time’ entry. One day after the QBs were in the dreaded ‘stock down’ category, they redeemed themselves. Tagovailoa directed a smooth touchdown drive that ended with a 10-yard pass to De’Von Achane. He led the offense in small chunks, exhibiting patience.”
“Wilson had a nice connection with Erik Ezukanma as well as Dee Eskridge, who made a terrific catch. Wilson also salvaged a bad snap by collecting the loose ball and throwing it away. Ewers showed calmness with three defenders in his face, finding Monaray Baldwin.”
If anyone can finally unlock Wilson, it would probably be O’Connell.
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