Three QB Options Bubble to Surface after Vikings Press Conference
The Minnesota Vikings held an end-of-season press conference on Tuesday, with the team’s main leaders, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell, separately predicting and endorsing a deeper quarterback room in 2026 than in 2025. The pair appeared to cast doubt on J.J. McCarthy’s grip on the QB1 job, bringing three alternatives to the top of mind.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah didn’t slam the door on competition behind J.J. McCarthy, and a few options already stand off the page for Minnesota.
Minnesota did not sound like a team that simply wants a seasoned veteran quarterback like Jimmy Garoppolo or Carson Wentz as its backup plan. A true-blue quarterback competition may be on the way.
Three Vikings QB Paths Start to Come into Focus
These men fit the criteria, above all else, if the Vikings add a prominent passer to challenge McCarthy or take his job.
Mac Jones | San Francisco 49ers
Do you know the identity of the NFL’s ninth-best passer in 2025 per EPA+CPOE? Well, that’s Mac Jones, the 49ers’ QB2.
Jones’ teammate, Brock Purdy, missed eight games in 2025 due to injury, and Jones didn’t blink. Instead, he guided San Francisco to a 5-3 record on his watch, complete with 2,151 passing yards, 13 passing touchdowns, and just 6 interceptions. Some 49ers faithful even claimed that Jones should remain in the starting lineup, riding the hot hand, as Jones has no problems running Kyle Shanahan’s offense.
Purdy later returned, and his team will take on the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Divisional Round.
In Minnesota, though, Jones might be a perfect fit in 2026 — tailor-made. He already has the reputational experience supporting Purdy, despite personally playing well and at a Top 10 EPA+CPOE clip. If McCarthy were to defeat him at training camp for the QB1 job, Jones would not freak out and demand a trade.
On the other hand, if Jones won the camp battle, he could become the Vikings’ QB1 for the foreseeable future. He’s 27, meaning his career prime is ahead of him. Jones would emulate Sam Darnold’s path in Minnesota, and in fact, when Jones’ 2025 stats are scaled to 17 games, they look somewhat similar to Darnold’s.
The catch? Jones’ availability. Would the 49ers really trade him this offseason, knowing they employ one of the best backup quarterbacks while having Purdy, who is somewhat injury-prone, on the depth chart? Perhaps. Perhaps not.
And what about the price? If the 49ers severed ties with Jones via trade, the suitor would likely have to pony up a 3rd- or 4th-Round pick. After compensatory draft selections are announced, Minnesota will have two 3rd-Rounders this cycle.
Kyler Murray | Arizona Cardinals
If the Vikings want to shoot for the stars, this is the guy. He doesn’t have a universal approval rating among Vikings fans — take a glance at social media, and very few are enthused about the idea of Murray turning purple — but he has the most upside of all quarterbacks that Minnesota could reasonably obtain this offseason.
Arizona has never won a playoff game with Murray at quarterback. Seven seasons, zero postseason wins. That reality hangs over the desert, and it’s increasingly clear the Cardinals are probably ready to move on.
League chatter has pointed to Murray being quietly sidelined late in the season, with Jacoby Brissett taking the QB1 snaps while no one in the Cardinals’ organization rushed to shut down the speculation. There’s also the personal storyline: Murray grew up a Vikings fan.
His contract is chunky — a $53 million cap hit in 2026 — but it’s doable if the Vikings get creative with the salary cap. Minnesota would almost certainly restructure, extend, and push money into future years.
Quarterbacks with Murray’s arm talent, mobility, and age profile don’t surface often. If Arizona makes him available — or even flirts with a release — Minnesota would be hard-pressed to stay idle.
This wouldn’t resemble the price tag of a Joe Burrow or Lamar Jackson. It wouldn’t require a franchise-crippling haul. A second- or third-round pick is within reason, especially if Arizona is motivated to reset everything.
If the Cardinals offer him, the Vikings must inquire. Just remember, Murray has everything a franchise quarterback must have: arm strength, passing accuracy, speed, mobility, and experience.
He’s the fifth-most accurate passer in NFL history, at least per completion percentage.
Malik Willis | Free Agency
Willis has barely been on the field — just 58 dropbacks — but the efficiency inside that sample is sweet. By EPA+CPOE, he’s been the most efficient quarterback in football this season. Small-sample caveats obviously apply, but the underlying indicators aren’t random. This looks like a career reboot on the way.
Willis has stabilized his mechanics, cut down on panicky throws, and played within the Packers’ structure. The next step is obvious: someone is going to hand him a legitimate QB1 audition at camp in July and August.
Minnesota could be one of those teams.
The free-agent contract range will be manageable — likely $15–25 million annually — which barely registers in the current quarterback money climate. There’s no trade cost, no asset drain, and no long-term anchor if the experiment flames out.
It’s a low-risk bet on upward momentum and a chance for O’Connell to whisper once again.
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