Heading into the 2026 NFL offseason, the Minnesota Vikings will have a lot of decisions to make and one of those decisions will be about the future of young quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
McCarthy entered the 2025 season as the team’s starting quarterback. The Vikings passed on adding a starter and opted to give the second-year signal caller a chance to step into the franchise leader position. While he didn’t have a horrible season, the year left more questions than answers.
Throughout the course of the season, McCarthy dealt with multiple injury issues. When he did play, he was inconsistent.
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With the NFL offseason coming up quickly, it’s quite possible that Minnesota could consider bringing in a veteran quarterback to start in 2026 while the team develops McCarthy.
Last offseason, rumors heavily connected the Vikings to future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers. It was reported on multiple occasions that Rodgers preferred to sign with Minnesota before ultimately landing a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
This season, Rodgers has played good football for the Steelers. Lately, he has started hinting about potentially being open to playing another season.
Should he choose to do so, could the Vikings revisit the idea of signing Rodgers?
Rodgers has thrown for 3,028 yards, 23 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in 15 games this year. He has completed 65.6 percent of his passes. Those numbers show that he’s still capable of leading a football team.
Back on December 19, Jeff Howe of The Athletic suggested that Rodgers and Minnesota could revisit their interest in free agency.
“Rodgers and the Vikings were flirting from across the room last offseason, so there could be some consideration to rekindling those flames, especially if the Vikings want to pause or even halt the JJ McCarthy experiment,” Howe wrote.
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At this point in time, the Vikings likely still view McCarthy as the future. However, giving him a chance to learn and develop for a year behind Rodgers might be in his best interest. After a one-year run with Rodgers, Minnesota could turn back to McCarthy.
Obviously, there is no guarantee that Rodgers will play in 2026 or that the Vikings will have interest in him. It’s simply an intriguing scenario to keep an eye on.
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