Analyst believes Vikings have 'genuine reason' to replace QB

The Minnesota Vikings are in the middle of a quarterback crisis. Again.

This year, they enter the offseason aiming to bring in competition at the position while also giving J.J. McCarthy the opportunity not only to compete for the starting job but also to continue his development.

That could make it difficult for the team to convince potential veteran options to sign with the Vikings . As talented as Minnesota’s roster is, keeping McCarthy around does provide a level of insecurity for an outsider.

However, ESPN’s Kevin Seifert believes the Vikings have little choice but to not only seek out another quarterback, but also give that player the starting job.

"The Vikings have genuine reason to consider replacing McCarthy, given the depths of his poor performance in his debut season and the unique position of their veteran-heavy roster . In the bigger picture, it would merely add to the nearly unprecedented nature of the Vikings' efforts to find a long-term answer at the position. McCarthy is the only quarterback the Vikings have ever drafted with a top-10 pick. He then became the first quarterback selected in the first round during the NFL's modern draft era to miss his entire rookie season because of injury. McCarthy's torn right meniscus healed in time for the 2025 season, prompting Darnold to become the second quarterback in league history to leave a team after throwing for at least 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns."

At the Scouting Combine on Tuesday, neither Kevin O’Connell nor executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski would commit to McCarthy as the team’s starter in 2026. That comes as no surprise, but signals an aggressive strategy to acquire a new quarterback to compete with McCarthy.

This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Analyst: Vikings have 'genuine reason' to replace J.J. McCarthy