Pro Football Rumors
The Vikings allowed quarterbacks Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones to depart in free agency this offseason, underscoring their faith in 2024 first-rounder J.J. McCarthy. While Minnesota wanted an experienced backup behind McCarthy – which explains the club’s April acquisition of Sam Howell and the signing of Carson Wentz after Howell was traded in August – neither of those players was seen as a threat to McCarthy’s starting job. In 2026, the Vikes could be looking for someone who will actually push the Michigan product for the QB1 role.
Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, multiple league insiders suggest Minnesota may follow the QB blueprint the Colts took during the 2025 offseason. In other words, the Vikings could acquire a veteran or reclamation project to compete with McCarthy, in much the same way Indianapolis signed Jones to battle with Anthony Richardson, the No. 4 overall choice of the 2023 draft. Jones, who had washed out with the Giants, found new life in Indiana and is in line for another lucrative, multiyear deal (or at least the hefty $46.1MM franchise tag) in 2026.
Fowler says Jones remains an ideal fit for the Vikings, who could make a run at their former backup if the Colts are unable or unwilling to keep him off the market. Fowler also names the 49ers’ Mac Jones and the Texans’ Davis Mills as possible Minnesota targets. Both of those players were once viewed as potential franchise quarterbacks, and while Jones’ tenure in New England and Mills’ stint as Houston’s full-time starter did not end well, they both have built some trade value this season thanks to their efforts in relief of their respective clubs’ top signal-callers.
Mills, 27, has not been a world-beater during C.J. Stroud’s time in the concussion protocol, but he has led Houston to a 3-0 record in the games he has started, throwing five touchdowns against one interception in the process. Mac Jones, meanwhile, went 5-3 as a starter with Brock Purdy on the shelf, posting a completion percentage just shy of 69.6% (fourth-highest in the league) and a 97.4 quarterback rating. He generally looked like the player who finished second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2021, and while both he and Mills are under contract through 2026, they both could be trade targets of teams like Minnesota (Fowler says the Niners could even fetch a Day 2 pick for Mac Jones).
Kyler Murray, who may already have taken his last snap for the Cardinals, and (interestingly enough) Richardson also fit the mold of players the Vikings could consider, as Fowler notes. The ESPN scribe says Minnesota head coach Kevin O’Connell has respect for Richardson, who has expressed interest in playing under an offense-oriented HC, specifically Sean McVay or someone from his coaching tree (like O’Connell).
If the Vikings instead consider a player closer to the end of their career, Aaron Rodgers and Joe Flacco might be options (Minnesota spoke with Flacco this offseason, and Rodgers made it known [the Vikes...
