Vikings’ Plan Taking Shape With 2 QBs Emerging as Frontrunners
The Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback situation remains the biggest question of the offseason after a disappointing 2025 campaign. To restore the offensive prowess, the franchise is widely expected to hire a veteran quarterback to pair with the inexperienced J.J. McCarthy.
In a Sunday report from ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler, Kyler Murray and Geno Smith emerged as top candidates.
First things first, Graziano explained that the club isn’t looking to move on from McCarthy, “The Vikings are not ready to give up on J.J. McCarthy, their 2024 first-round pick who missed his rookie season because of a knee injury and struggled mightily through an injury-riddled second season in 2025. But they also aren’t ready to hand McCarthy the keys for 2026.”
McCarthy’s uneven 2025 season, with ten games of inconsistent play and injury struggles, raised concerns about his long-term outlook. Still, it would be unusual to move on from a 1st-round pick after only ten starts without a real replacement in sight.
Then, Graziano pointed to the options: “The odd quarterback landscape of this offseason makes it difficult to predict where the Vikings land, but if and when someone such as Geno Smith or Kyler Murray gets cut, I could see Minnesota pursuing that kind of passer on a low-cost, one-year prove-it deal.”
Neither Murray nor Smith is part of their franchise’s long-term plans at quarterback. While a trade remains on the table, the two getting straight-up released is another realistic outcome.
Graziano added, “Bringing in a veteran quarterback who has had some success in the league could be what the Vikings need to get McCarthy’s attention. It would remind him about the parts of his game he still needs to work on and get him back on track to where Minnesota can hopefully harness his talent and build him into the franchise QB it thought he was when it drafted him.”
Smith was a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback as recently as 2023 and Murray scored 26 touchdowns in 2024. A rather unproductive season in 2024 led the Seahawks to trade Smith to the Raiders a year ago, while Murray’s once-promising career has been slowed down by injuries in recent years. Both, however, could benefit from Kevin O’Connell’s offense, which has historically elevated the play of veteran quarterbacks. The firepower in the receiving room is another sweetener.
Graziano then pivoted to Minnesota’s Plan B: “If the Vikings don’t land that type of QB, they’d probably pivot to the older free agents in that group, such as Joe Flacco, former Viking Kirk Cousins and, yes, Aaron Rodgers, whom they discussed bringing in last offseason before deciding against it.”
All of these quarterbacks are either in their 40s or have a torn Achilles tendon in their injury history — or both.
Graziano’s colleague Fowler then joined the conversation: “I’ve also heard that the Vikings are considering Murray and Smith as they outline their veteran quarterback plan. Tua Tagovailoa and Cousins are also on their radar. Some I’ve talked to are breaking those four into two tiers, with Murray and Smith in the first group.”
Tagovailoa is still under contract with the Miami Dolphins. The reporter duo expects the Miami to release its passer.
Either way, the fact that both heard Murray and Smith are the frontrunners for the Vikings job could be meaningful.
Ultimately, the report reinforces that Minnesota is not planning a full reset at quarterback, but rather a calculated competition around J.J. McCarthy. If a proven veteran like Murray or Smith becomes available at a reasonable cost, the Vikings could stabilize the position without abandoning their long-term investment. That balance between development and immediate competence appears to be the guiding principle behind their 2026 quarterback plan.
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