The Minnesota Vikings are looking to bolster their quarterback room this offseason with at least one quarterback capable of competing for the starting job. There remain enough doubts about J.J. McCarthy’s durability and readiness to operate Kevin O’Connell’s offense that the Vikings are actively pursuing other options to compete for the starting job and possibly become the team’s franchise quarterback.
One question of a more strategic nature is whether the Vikings will pursue more of a bridge quarterback option or one that could be a new quarterback-of-the-future. As much as the Vikings want a franchise quarterback now to lead them deep into the postseason in 2026 and beyond, the available options suggest hedging their bets and promoting competition.
That makes for a more complicated strategy than betting it all on one guy, but the Vikings tried the latter last year and came up snake eyes. Here is a way forward that sets up a major competition this offseason that could yield the best results.
Acquire Anthony Richardson
All signs point to the Colts trading Anthony Richardson this offseason. Daniel Jones is their quarterback of the future, who they will extend or franchise tag, and the Colts are also thought to have confidence in Riley Leonard to be their backup quarterback. The Colts are also short on draft picks after trading two first-round picks for Sauce Gardner last year. All that suggests the Colts will shop Richardson ahead of the draft.
The Vikings were also rumored to have explored trading up for Richardson, still only 23, in the 2023 draft. That suggests the Vikings and Kevin O’Connell liked what they saw in Richardson. It’s possible their interest may have waned since then- Richardson has also been oft-injured since being drafted #4 overall- and has had other struggles on the field as well.
But Richardson has arguably the highest ceiling of any legitimate option available to the Vikings this offseason as a prototype-built, dual-threat quarterback with a big arm. The dynamics of having two first-round picks- both 23- in competition may also help get the best from each of them.
Trading for Richardson would also give the Vikings a second-chance at a young, high-ceiling franchise quarterback. There aren’t really any others that fit this bill as much as Richardson, although there are plenty of risks involved too. Richardson could be had for as little as a day-three draft pick. Trey Lance (#3 overall pick in 2021) was traded for a fourth-round pick. He would be around a $5 million cap hit this year and has a fifth-year option on his rookie contract that must be decided by May 1st.
Richardson is a classic case of the mismanagement of a top quarterback draft pick. The Colts drafted Richardson #4 overall despite his only having one year of experience (13 starts) in college. They started him immediately and after four games he injured his shoulder on a run play which required season-ending surgery. In 2024 he missed two games with an oblique injury, was benched for two games after tapping-out for a breather on a third down, and missed another two games late in the season with a back injury.
Richardson has struggled with accuracy issues- mainly on shorter throws- due to some obvious footwork issues that the Colts’ coaching staff never addressed effectively. Richardson is praised as a hard worker by his teammates but struggled to develop a pro-level preparation program over his first two seasons with the Colts. It wasn’t until after his benching in 2024 when backup Sam Ehlinger helped him improve his game that he began to develop a better program for preparation and development.
But by that time Shane Steichen and the Colts had mentally moved on from Richardson and last season acquired Daniel Jones to be their starter. Richardson suffered a freak eye/orbital injury in pregame warmups in mid-October when a resistance band broke causing a rod to hit him in the head and put him on IR for two months. He had lingering short-range vision issues in his right eye afterward and finished the season on IR.
Obviously the Vikings would need to see a full restoration of vision in Richardson’s right eye before acquiring him- the vision issue has been described as temporary due to some swelling. But assuming that is no longer an issue, Richardson may have benefited from a season on the bench- or partial season- where he could learn and improve his technique rather than just try to survive on the field as best he could without the development he needed.
At this point Richardson stands to benefit from a change of scenery. The Colts totally mismanaged Richardson’s development as a 20-year old draft pick with only limited college experience. He still is only 23 – he turns 24 in May- with a tremendous physical skill set. He has about one season of pro experience in total since being drafted but how close he is to being ready to start is a question. My guess is he is closer than McCarthy by comparing what is on tape, but Richardson would also need to learn a new system.
So, while Richardson may be a worthwhile reclamation project the Vikings believe in, his readiness to lead a team with playoff aspirations may only be marginally better than McCarthy’s. That’s probably not the solution the Vikings are looking for this year to lead their offense.
However, acquiring Richardson in a low-risk trade creates competition with McCarthy for the backup spot this season. The winner would then compete for the starting job in the future and the loser would most likely be traded at some point.
Acquire Mac Jones
The former first-round pick of the Patriots, now 27 and a backup under contract with the 49ers, is a potential trade option for the Vikings as well. However, unlike the Colts and Richardson, the 49ers are happy to keep Jones on their roster. He proved a seamless backup to Brock Purdy last season when Purdy was injured, saving the 49ers’ season. And he’s just a $1 million cap hit this year.
Jones may be the best immediate fit for O’Connell’s offense, but also may have a lower ceiling as more of a game manager than play-maker. But he could do for the Vikings what he did for the 49ers last season- help get them to the playoffs. The Vikings trading for him would also likely mean he would be the starter in 2026 and possibly beyond. Whether the Vikings are comfortable with Jones’ ceiling remains a question, but he offers some stability at the position and is ready to be an immediate starter.
The 49ers hold all the leverage in trade negotiations for Jones. They’ve said they don’t want to trade him as he proved a much more valuable backup last season than his salary cap hit. They also stand to get a compensatory pick for him after this season should he sign a new contract elsewhere. So, the Vikings would probably need to offer at least a third-round pick for Jones, but probably a little more. But if Jones plays as well as he did last season for the 49ers, the Vikings could get back at least half of that draft capital. And if he really shines, the Vikings could opt to extend him.
All together, the Vikings would have three first-round picks competing this offseason with Jones in pole position for the starting job.
Other Options
The Cardinals are also rumored to be considering moving on from Kyler Murray, although there is a massive salary cap hit involved in doing so. Murray’s remaining contract would be difficult but not impossible for the Vikings to absorb, but also isn’t all that attractive for any team. Murray would be a more viable option if the Cardinals released him, at which point the Vikings may consider him on a more limited, team friendly deal, although there would likely be other interested parties that could drive up the price. The Cardinals could also opt to eat a lot of Murray’s contract in a trade to make trading him more attractive.
There is some question about Murray’s fit with O’Connell. Part of the reason the Cardinals may be willing to move on from Murray is that he hasn’t been the most dedicated in terms of his preparation. He infamously had a clause requiring four hours of independent study added and later removed from his contract in 2022, suggesting the team felt he needed to do more to prepare but only after public backlash removed the clause. Some reports suggest he has improved in that regard since that incident, but nevertheless questions about his dedication linger.
Murray is a talented playmaker at his best, but he also remains inconsistent and how well he would respond to learning O’Connell’s offense remains a question. Murray may not be much of a mentor to the younger quarterbacks either. Still, Murray is an established veteran with a higher ceiling than Jones. But Murray would be a more expensive salary cap hit and turns 29 in August. And he missed the bulk of two seasons due to injury- and ACL tear in late 2022 and a foot injury last year.
Malik Willis, the former Packers backup, now a free agent, has shown competence and flashes of more in limited field duty for the Packers. He is similar, but smaller, in physical characteristics as Anthony Richardson, with probably a little higher floor at this point and a lower ceiling. He is likely to have several interested parties in free agency, but he may be more motivated by situation than money, as he is likely to receive multiple medium, shorter duration offers which in the right situation could catapult him into a higher end deal if all goes well.
At this point there have been no rumors linking the Vikings to Willis, although that doesn’t rule him out. However, Willis would likely be uncomfortable with Richardson and McCarthy competing with him and may avoid that situation by taking another offer. He is also inexperienced and unproven with only limited reps as a backup. But he has had several seasons to learn and develop in Green Bay.
There are also a few older bridge quarterback options the Vikings could pursue if they had confidence that either McCarthy or Richardson will eventually become a quality starter. Guys like Kirk Cousins or Geno Smith or Derek Carr are potential options. But just how far the Vikings could go with one of these quarterbacks leading the offense is more doubtful. Cousins has lost his fastball and the others are likely average quarterbacks at best. Still, they could be viable backup options if other players don’t work out.
No Perfect Option
All of the above options come with clear downside risks. Most have injury histories that require due diligence. Some have questions about preparation habits. Some have limited experience. None have been top ten quarterbacks or have much playoff experience. So, a good deal of the consideration has to be who offers the developmental upside to not only help the Vikings make the playoffs, but also make a deep run. Another key consideration is fit. Both scheme fit, locker room fit, and face of the franchise fit.
The fact that the Vikings are in win now mode a year removed from a 14-win season with a solid roster outside of quarterback adds to the pressure for the Vikings to get the quarterback decision right. Players watched as the Vikings let Sam Darnold go win a Super Bowl in Seattle while they struggled with J.J. McCarthy and other well below average quarterbacks last season. Players like Justin Jefferson will doubtlessly be paying close attention to the decisions the Vikings make at quarterback this offseason, which may well determine their fate this season and beyond.
Given all that, it makes sense for the Vikings to bring in someone who is ready to start this season and a high-ceiling option in Richardson to compete with McCarthy as well. If competition makes everyone better, it stands to reason that the Vikings will benefit as much as the players by making it happen.
What doesn’t make sense in the Vikings current situation is to have some preconceived notion as to who will be their franchise quarterback. The Vikings tried that last year. It didn’t end well.