Who is going to be the Vikings quarterback in 2026?

This offseason has already been a wild one, and it has just begun. You’ve heard all sorts of rumors about who the Vikings are dialed in on acquiring for the 2026 season — from Kyler Murray, Kirk Cousins, Geno Smith, Aaron Rodgers, Joe Burrow, and Anthony Richardson.

Our advice to you on what to believe is simple: nothing. Many of the reports that have come out contradict each other and simply do not add up.

(Matt Krohn-Imagn Images)

That goes for believing the JJ McCarthy rumors as well. Much of the media is insinuating that McCarthy’s short time in Minnesota is already coming to an end, and we urge you to ignore that.

Maybe the reports are real. Maybe it’s the Vikings trying to light a fire under McCarthy to go out there and work his butt off this offseason to compete for the starting job. We truly do not know. Best case, we will never know what the truth is and McCarthy becomes our franchise guy.

Realistic Options for Minnesota

With that being said, it would be ill-advised for the Vikings to roll into the season again with no veteran quarterback or competition for JJ McCarthy throughout camp.

The Vikings need a reliable veteran who can push McCarthy, give him advice throughout the season, and also be a realistic option if McCarthy gets injured again. Now who is that for the Minnesota Vikings?

Guys like Kirk Cousins, Geno Smith, Joe Flacco, or Andy Dalton are all suitable options for this role and leave the door open for JJ McCarthy to still start and earn his spot for the 2026 season. Cousins knows the system and is still a pretty good quarterback at this point in his career, but he certainly is not an answer for more than a year. Flacco and Dalton are both very good mentors for a young quarterback and would give JJ competition going into the season, along with a lot of wisdom from being in the league so long. Geno Smith is an interesting one, as he struggled heavily in 2025 with the Raiders, but he was pretty good in prior years with Seattle.

Overall, if you want real competition for McCarthy that will be a battle but certainly winnable, then you sign Kirk Cousins, Geno Smith, or Joe Flacco. If you want McCarthy to almost definitely start in 2026, then signing Andy Dalton to push him in camp — but almost certainly wind up as the backup and help give McCarthy advice throughout the season — is the more favorable option.

What if the Vikings want a new starting quarterback?

If the headlines are true and the Vikings really are just giving up on the JJ McCarthy project, then some other names come into play. There is a potential long-term option like Kyler Murray, who will likely be released by the Cardinals, and a short-term option like Aaron Rodgers, who desperately wanted to be a Viking last season before they shot him down.

Both of these are interesting options, starting with Kyler Murray — a once-superstar who has lost himself in a bad organization driven by dysfunction for years. Murray's lack of fit in Minnesota's scheme has come up a lot, but if you truly think Murray can get back to stardom with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison by his side, then change your damn scheme. It is Kevin O'Connell's job to put this team in the best position to win a Super Bowl, and if that means changing your ways, then he better do it.

Aaron Rodgers, a future Hall of Famer who seems like he'll be running it back one more time in the NFL, is an intriguing option for the team. Bringing in Rodgers labels him the starter for the 2026 season — you cannot bring him in to “compete” with McCarthy. This shorter-term option does leave the door slightly more open for McCarthy to maybe come back in 2027 to start. It certainly would be a stretch, though, assuming this adds some tension between the Vikings and JJ McCarthy. Regardless, this move brings an energy similar to the 2009 season between the Vikings and Brett Favre — a farewell tour for Aaron Rodgers, getting to play his former team twice a year and having a real roster that can compete for a Super Bowl.

One underlooked option, though, is Daniel Jones, who is set to become a free agent or receive the transition tag from the Indianapolis Colts after a stellar resurgence in 2025 that was cut short by injury. Jones spent time on Minnesota's bench for half of the 2024 season, learning from Kevin O'Connell while Sam Darnold shined, leading the Vikings to a 14-win season. Coincidentally, JJ McCarthy was right alongside him rehabbing a meniscus injury. The Vikings’ and Kevin O'Connell's history with Jones could lead to mutual interest, but they would likely have to pay high market value for him. Jones is expected to get the transition tag placed on him, which would allow the Colts to match any offer given to him.

So who is it gonna be?

It is hard to predict who the Vikings’ quarterback is going to be in 2026, but we have our opinion on what direction the team should go in. First, the Vikings should not give up on JJ McCarthy after just two seasons and only 10 games, but they also should not just hand him the job like they did in 2025. This leads us down the path of signing a Kirk Cousins, Geno Smith, or Andy Dalton to likely leave the door open for JJ McCarthy to earn his job.

Daniel Jones, while an interesting option, does not seem realistic coming off a torn Achilles and likely commanding high market value — probably in the $40M-a-year range. Kyler Murray likely shuts the door on McCarthy being a starter again for the Vikings, but he would be a cheaper veteran option.

Aaron Rodgers is not out of the picture, but if you want to keep your relationship intact with McCarthy after a year on the bench, then Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings will have to handle it properly. Hopefully, McCarthy would not grow tense having a future Hall of Famer mentor him for a year from the bench.

Anthony Richardson is probably the worst option, as the Vikings would have two 23-year-old, unproven quarterbacks who have missed more games than they have played in their careers.

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