The Minnesota Vikings are currently poised to roll with J.J. McCarthy as their starting quarterback in 2025, giving the former first-round pick an opportunity to shine. However, the team has been linked to multiple veteran quarterbacks this offseason and new insight has come out on their likely approach.
Minnesota first attempted to re-sign quarterback Sam Darnold before he bolted for the Seattle Seahawks, where he’ll be the unquestioned starter in 2025. After striking out on a Darnold reunion, the team got into a bidding war for Daniel Jones that it ultimately lost to the Indianapolis Colts.
Days after Jones and Darnold went elsewhere, NFL rumors surfaced that the Vikings would entertain the idea of signing Aaron Rodgers. However, with the organization split on bringing in the future Hall of Famer and making McCarthy compete against him, Minnesota backed off the four-time NFL MVP.
There are still plenty of viable backup quarterbacks available in NFL free agency who could provide some veteran experience behind McCarthy. However, there seems to be a legitimate reason why Minnesota is taking its time before adding one.
During the latest episode of the Inside Coverage podcast, Yahoo Sports‘ senior NFL insider Charles Robinson touched on the Vikings’ situation regarding when they’ll add a veteran quarterback and why they are taking their time to add one.
Signing Rodgers would jeopardize the compensatory pick Minnesota is slated to receive at the end of Round 3 in the 2026 NFL Draft. Even if Rodgers is taken off the board by signing a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers, signing someone like Joe Flacco or Carson Wentz might jeopardize the fifth-round compensatory pick.
As a result, Minnesota is expected to wait until at least the Monday after the 2025 NFL Draft before it signs a veteran quarterback. As for who that might be, Robinson mentioned Wentz as a potential fit, given he served as the backup quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams in 2023, so he would have some familiarity with Kevin O’Connell’s system. Unlike Flacco, Wentz would also be more willing to accept a backup role.
