From the top of the offseason, the Minnesota Vikings ' who's who have stated they will acquire another quarterback to pair with J.J. McCarthy . Now, as the NFL Combine winds down, reporting suggests that Minnesota has a tiered preference. The club evidently wants Kyler Murray or Geno Smith foremost, with a fallback plan involving an older veteran like Aaron Rodgers or Kirk Cousins .
Reports connect Kyler Murray and Geno Smith to the top tier, with older fallback names drifting behind them.
The plan makes sense, as Murray and Smith can still have some pocket mobility, whereas Rodgers and Cousins are immobile.
The countdown continues to Minnesota's quarterback decision.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) warms up on the field before facing the San Francisco 49ers at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, Dec. 17, 2023. Murray went through passing and movement drills during pregame routines as Arizona prepared its offense for the late-season NFC West matchup against San Francisco. Mandatory Credit: Michael Chow-Arizona Republic.
Tier 1: Murray or Smith?
ESPN's Dan Graziano broke down Minnesota's rather fascinating quarterback search, and Murray + Smith lead the way.
He explained , "The Vikings are not ready to give up on J.J. McCarthy , their 2024 first-round pick who missed his rookie season because of a knee injury and struggled mightily through an injury-riddled second season in 2025. But they also aren't ready to hand McCarthy the keys for 2026."
"The odd quarterback landscape of this offseason makes it difficult to predict where the Vikings land, but if and when someone such as Geno Smith or Kyler Murray gets cut, I could see Minnesota pursuing that kind of passer on a low-cost, one-year prove-it deal."
Murry and/or Smith could be released in mere days.
Jeremy Fowler, also from ESPN, added, "I've also heard that the Vikings are considering Murray and Smith as they outline their veteran quarterback plan. Tua Tagovailoa and Cousins are also on their radar. Some I've talked to are breaking those four into two tiers, with Murray and Smith in the first group."
Our Steve Hoikkala noted on Murray last weekend, "Kyler Murray is a super athletic playmaker whose mobility has the potential to unlock the Vikings' explosive weapons if he gets outside of the pocket. If released from the Arizona Cardinals , he is arguably the best younger option available."
Tier 2: An Older Veteran
Then, Graziano outlined the Vikings' Plan B: "If the Vikings don't land that type of QB, they'd probably pivot to the older free agents in that group, such as Joe Flacco , former Viking Kirk Cousins and, yes, Aaron Rodgers, whom they discussed bringing in last offseason before deciding against it."
"It's also possible that the Vikings look into one of the potentially available unproven backup QBs who could be available via trade, such as Tanner McKee , Davis Mills or even Anthony Richardson Sr. But while such a move might help them feel better about the depth of their QB room, it likely wouldn't help them accomplish their goal with McCarthy — either get him back on track or at least buy themselves another year to evaluate his long-term viability."
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) scans downfield during fourth-quarter action against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, Oct. 17, 2021. Cousins stood in the pocket and prepared to throw as pressure developed late in the road matchup between Minnesota and Carolina. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports.
If Graziano has it right, the Vikings would have a list, so to speak, starting with Murray and Smith, crossing them off the list and moving on if circumstances don't work out — to Cousins, Rodgers, or Flacco.
An Interest in Winning Now
Why do the Vikings need any veteran in the first place? Simple — the current coaching staff may be on the hot seat, and it's just too risky to roll with McCarthy as the sole QB1 solution, as the club did last year. Minnesota won nine games in 2025 with the fifth-worst quarterbacking overall per dropback EPA/play . The working theory suggests it could have won the NFC North or reached the postseason with average quarterback performance.
All the options above provide an average or better performance baseline. As of March 2026, McCarthy doesn't quite provide that. McCarthy could show up to Week 1 and utterly ball out — or he could rank dead last in EPA+CPOE like last year.
In short, head coach Kevin O'Connell needs a contingency plan; that strategy evidently has offseason tiers.
McCarthy Remains in the Mix Regardless
This does not mean that McCarthy will be jettisoned or even deprioritized. For example, if Minnesota landed Geno Smith from the Raiders, well, McCarthy and Smith would duke it out this summer at training camp for the QB1 job. McCarthy is only 23 and has time to develop if Minnesota has the patience.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) releases a first-quarter pass against the Houston Texans at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Aug. 9, 2025. McCarthy worked through early drives during preseason action as Minnesota evaluated the young quarterback's timing and command in front of the home crowd. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
McCarthy isn't going anywhere, barring a blockbuster trade for someone like Joe Burrow or Lamar Jackson .
Still, if the Vikings acquire Murray or Rodgers, for example, McCarthy might be relegated to QB2, as those two would be virtually guaranteed to start.
Minnesota should reach a quarterback verdict within the next 10 days, if not sooner.
