It was another down week for quarterback JJ McCarthy and the Minnesota Vikings, as they fell to divisional rivals, the Green Bay Packers, on Sunday, by a score of 23-6. The offense sputtered behind their former first-round pick, as McCarthy threw for just 87 yards and two touchdowns in one of the worst passing performances in recent NFL memory.
That dropped the Vikings to 4-7 on the season and destroyed the last remnants of any playoff hopes. Playing in the ultra-competitive NFC North, they are now in last place, prompting ESPN analyst Dan Graziano to suggest that the team needs to add a more experienced arm for next season.
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"If nothing else, the Vikings will want to bring in a veteran quarterback to add to their young QB room," Graziano wrote. "Minnesota is going to have to look at every potential option going into 2026. The Vikings can't throw another season away while waiting for things to click for their 2024 first-round pick."
McCarthy has only played in six NFL games
For JJ McCarthy, life in the NFL hasn't been off to the quick start the team was hoping for when they selected him 10th overall in 2024. And to be fair, not all of that is his fault. He missed his entire rookie campaign due to a torn meniscus. After Sam Darnold departed in the offseason for Seattle, McCarthy was named the starter for the 2025 opener. In that game, he led the Vikes past the Chicago Bears and was chosen as the NFC Offensive Player of the Week.
Since then, he's battled injuries and inconsistency. His overall totals for the 2025 campaign are a 54.1% completion rate, with six touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and a QB rating of 57.
While no names have been mentioned as a possible stopgap in Minnesota, a player like Arizona Cardinals' beleaguered star Kyler Murray might be available in an offseason trade. Meanwhile, Geno Smith and Brock Purdy are slated to be free agents at the year'send.
"Bringing in a veteran doesn't guarantee a similar result, and it's possible that McCarthy could make enough advancements this offseason that he would win a competition against an outside veteran," Graziano added. "But unless the final six games of this season look a heck of a lot different from the first six games McCarthy has started, Minnesota is going to have to look at every potential option going into 2026.