Andrew Buller-Russ
While the Brendan Sorsby situation may have caused some trepidation, there’s no one talking about the possibility of the Minnesota Vikings adding yet another arm to their quarterback room this offseason. After all, they’ve already invested quite a bit at this position, and have one of every type essentially. They have a former No. 1 overall pick who has, at times, displayed the upside to be an MVP-caliber player. Yet, Kyler Murray is only signed for one season, and after flaming out with the Arizona Cardinals, there’s a reason the QB who played just five games in 2025, was available.
After Murray, the Vikings have their high-potential developmental QB in J.J. McCarthy, the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Murray and McCarthy are fighting for the starting job, and there’s always a chance that the latter will demand a trade if he should lose the battle. Yet, his recent comments don’t indicate that the 23-year-old wants to be anywhere but Minnesota.
While that alone may be intriguing enough for most NFL QB rooms, the Vikings didn’t stop there. They also pursued and successfully got former No. 2 overall pick Carson Wentz under contract after he led the team to a respectable 2-3 record last season. Now, the veteran with 99 starts under his belt is primed to be their No. 3 QB.
Plus, the Vikings still have a long-shot developmental prospect that they love in 2025 UDFA Max Brosmer. Add it all up, and the Vikings have four QBs, three who likely make the roster, and the last who they’ll assuredly try to sneak onto the practice squad. Thus, is there really any room for another? Some think the Vikings shouldn’t quit here.
One player who had frequently been linked to the Vikings via trade is former first-round pick Mac Jones. The one-time Pro Bowl quarterback arguably is coming off a career year after leading the San Francisco 49ers to a 5-3 record. Plus, spending a year mastering Kyle Shanahan’s system made him a popular pick to follow in Sam Darnold‘s footsteps by going from San Francisco to Minnesota and later thrive. After all, Kevin O’Connell’s offense shares similar themes from Shanahan’s. Jones would likely be a quick study in Minnesota’s offense too.
Nevertheless, once the Vikings moved forward by signing Murray, the trade rumors linking them to the 27-year-old Jones were dead. However, with recent rumors suggesting that the 49ers could still look to trade Jones as he enters a contract year, especially if 2025 seventh-round pick Kurtis Rourke can impress, perhaps the Vikings could circle back to San Francisco’s backup QB.
Recently, Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton came up with five potential destinations for Jones ahead of the 2026 NFL trade deadline. In doing so, he named the Vikings as one of the landing spots that make sense. While the idea may not make much sense on the surface, Moton rationalizes the decision by pointing out that there’s no guarantee the team re-signs Murray after his contract expires at the end of the season. After all, they let Darnold walk after an incredible 14-win breakout season. But there’s more to Moton’s reasoning.
“Minnesota can get ahead of the rising cost of the quarterback market by acquiring Jones and signing him to an extension after the 2026 term if Murray does enough to spike his 2027 market value. Jones will also be a free agent next year, but he won’t be able to demand as much as a starting quarterback with decent passing numbers. The Vikings could make the playoffs with Murray, which would likely push them out of range for a top 2027 quarterback prospect. Instead of earmarking significant cap space for him or hoping for a trade-up in next year’s draft, they can acquire and extend Jones to stabilize their quarterback room.”
Previous reports indicated that the 49ers were holding out hope to land a first-round pick in exchange for Jones. Obviously, that deal never materialized. If they’re still open to a deal, perhaps the 49ers have come down from their original asking price. If Jones were to walk as a free agent next offseason, the most San Francisco could get is a third-round compensatory pick in the 2028 NFL Draft, and that’s only if they lose more free agents than they sign. Trading Jones now would almost certainly offer a stronger and more immediate return.
Still, this move doesn’t seem to make sense for the Vikings, unless they have extreme doubts about both Murray and McCarthy’s ability to become a high-level QB in coach O’Connell’s offense this season. Which, with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, a decent stable of running backs mixing both power and possibly speed too with Demond Claiborne, and what should be a sturdy line, how could any competent QB fail?
Related: Minnesota Vikings’ Undrafted Rookie Displayed ‘Eye-Opening’ Talent in Team Drills
