ESPN Names 3 Young QB Options in the Mix for Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings will have approximately two dozen quarterbacks to ponder this offseason, decide on a running mate to challenge J.J. McCarthy this summer for the QB1 job, or serve as insurance if he falters. According to ESPN, if Minnesota explores a “toolsy” young passer with upside, someone like Anthony Richardson, Will Levis, or Tanner McKee could do the trick.
ESPN’s list includes three young quarterback swings for the Vikings: Richardson, Levis, and McKee.
Benjamin Solak dropped those names this week, in addition to Kirk Cousins as a veteran option.
Three Young Quarterbacks Enter the Vikings’ Rumor Mill
The Vikings’ quarterback choice will dominate the offseason indefinitely.
Solak on the Vikings’ QB Options
Solak sized up the market for quarterback-needy teams this week, and because McCarthy didn’t do enough in 2025 to fully secure the QB1 gig for the long haul, Solak touched on the Vikings.
He wrote, “Minnesota will absolutely bring in competition for J.J. McCarthy, as it reportedly tried to do last season with Rodgers. Cousins is the obvious choice because he has scheme familiarity from his time in Minnesota as coach Kevin O’Connell’s starter.”
“But O’Connell is a big believer in quarterback development, and I would not be surprised if he wants to go for a younger player to challenge McCarthy’s seat not just in 2026 but also beyond. Every toolsy young passer who can operate from the pocket (Tanner McKee, Anthony Richardson, Will Levis, etc.) is on my radar for a surprise Vikings trade. (It will probably just be Cousins, though, let’s be honest.)”
Solak notably didn’t mention Mac Jones or Kyler Murray, two high-profile passers in the Vikings’ trade rumor mill.
Anthony Richardson
Richardson needs a change of scenery. In 2025, he lost a summer training camp battle to Daniel Jones, got hurt, watched as the Indianapolis Colts signed 44-year-old Philip Rivers, and played rookie passer Riley Leonard in the final game of the season. Quarterback headlines in Indianapolis included everybody — except Richardson.
He might have Top 2 or Top 3 arm strength in the league, and he’s difficult to tackle. A couple of years ago, after his team lost to the Vikings, O’Connell greeted him — consoled — at midfield, instructing him to continue his quarterback journey and encouraging him that he had a long career ahead of him.
The Colts saw something in Richardson to draft him fourth overall in 2023; perhaps the Vikings could trade for him and ‘fix” him. Thankfully, Richardson’s next team won’t have to spend much on him via trade. A 6th-Round pick or so should do the trick, and courtesy of former Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Minnesota has a war chest of late-round picks.
Will Levis
Once Levis is healthy this offseason, the quarterback situation should become clear: Cam Ward is the Titans’ QB1. Tennessee drafted Ward with the No. 1 overall pick last April, and Levis, already fading into the background, will likely be his backup. In Tennessee, Levis’s ceiling appears to be that of a high-end backup— assuming Ward continues his growth.
This reality suggests a fresh start for Levis, who needs an opportunity to audition elsewhere. O’Connell, for example, tends to favor quarterbacks who aggressively attack defenses vertically and aren’t afraid to make mistakes, as evidenced by players like Nick Mullens and Sam Howell in recent seasons. Fearlessness is the common denominator, and Levis certainly possesses that trait, boasting a powerful arm.
Whether Minnesota acts on this potential fit remains to be seen. However, O’Connell’s ideal QB2 would closely resemble Levis, as his attributes align with O’Connell’s preferences.
Tanner McKee
Probably the least likely on the list to capture the Vikings’ attention, Solak floated McKee nevertheless.
The Philadelphia Eagles picked McKee in Round 6 of the 2024 NFL Draft, and because of that low capital, no team is really chomping at the bit to give him a QB1 audition. But McKee is 6’6″ and 230 pounds, so size isn’t a problem for the Stanford alumnus.
Experience, though, is: only 88 passes over two seasons. He did serve as Jalen Hurts’s backup in 2025, notably defeating the aforementioned Howell for the QB2 job in Philadelphia last summer.
Solak noted on McKee, “McKee typically looks strong in the preseason, and he looked acceptable in two Week 18 starts while throwing to the Eagles’ backups. He is an older prospect (will be 26 next season), but he still has a developmental arc in that he has never seen extended game action.”
“In a world where Will Howard might be starting for the Steelers or Quinn Ewers could be in for the Dolphins, McKee deserves a camp fight somewhere.”
In an extremely small sample, McKee has logged an EPA+CPOE of 0.098, which would rank him 22nd among 66 qualifying passers in the NFL since 2024. He shares EPA+CPOE space with Jaxson Dart (0.099), Daniel Jones (0.096), and Tua Tagovailoa (0.104). Of course, he would need to maintain that pace and hopefully improve with more snaps under his belt.
McKee will turn 26 right after the draft in April.
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