Two seasons after selecting him with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings still don’t know what they have with J.J. McCarthy. After missing the entirety of his rookie campaign with a knee injury, McCarthy started just 10 games in season two.
Meanwhile, Minnesota’s former backup plan, Sam Darnold, is a week away from a chance to win a Super Bowl. While the Vikings are not ready to give up on McCarthy, they do need a better contingency plan, whether it be more injuries or inconsistent play that comes from unproven players.
Now we have a better idea of how Minnesota’s front office, led by general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, may attack the Vikings’ QB plan this offseason.
According to Jason Harmon of SleeperNFL, the Vikings do indeed still “have faith” in McCarthy, but injuries remain a concern for the 23-year-old QB.
As the Vikings try to improve the QB room, Harmon reportedly heard from a league source who indicated that “Mac Jones is definitely on the radar.” Of course, other teams are also interested in the one-time Pro Bowl QB coming off arguably his best season yet.
He led the 49ers to a 5-3 record while completing a career-high 69.6% of his passes for an average of 268.3 yards per game. He did so while tossing 13 touchdowns and six interceptions. The 27-year-old Jones has one year left on his contract with the San Francisco 49ers at an extreme bargain rate of $2.8 million.
Harmon added that a “connected Minnesota” source brought up Indianapolis Colts QB Anthony Richardson as a “likely option” to compete with McCarthy in 2026 as well. Like Jones, Richardson would have to be traded for and is entering the final year of his contract.
The fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft won’t turn 24 until May, and like McCarthy, he’s often been bitten by the injury bug. Richardson boasts superstar potential with a cannon arm and bulldozing playmaking ability with his legs, but he’s started just 15 games in three seasons while completing 50.6.% of his passes in the process.
However, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has offered high praise to the Colts’ young QB in the past. He’s also been known to take chances on quarterbacks who didn’t pan out with their previous team. After seeing the success of Darnold and Daniel Jones, Richardson may welcome an opportunity to be coached in Minnesota too.
Related: Pro Bowl Quarterbacks Linked to Minnesota Vikings
