J.J. McCarthy has failed to live up to his expectations that came along with the Minnesota Vikings drafting him in the first round just two years ago. This has sparked speculation that they may already be seeking quarterback alternatives during the 2026 NFL offseason. An insider recently gave his take on the situation and also suggested a potential target.
J.J. McCarthy Could Face Competition for his Starting Job with the Vikings
McCarthy missed his entire rookie season with an injury before performing as one of the worst starting quarterbacks last year. The Vikings invested a high draft pick to land him two years ago, but his job security is already rumored to be in jeopardy.
Vikings insider Alec Lewis recently reported on the situation and acknowledged the possibility that Minnesota could explore other options. He also threw out a potential candidate that would apparently make for an ideal offseason acquisition.
“There is perhaps no candidate who checks more boxes for what the Vikings are looking for than San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones … He has the pedigree as a former first-rounder. Like former Vikings starter Sam Darnold, he spent a season with Kyle Shanahan in a similar system … His guaranteed salary for 2026 is only $1 million. And he has shown an ability to play through injury and win games,” explained Lewis.
Darnold found plenty of success in his one season with the Vikings after spending time as a primary backup for the San Francisco 49ers. He went 14-3 as their starter before departing for the Seattle Seahawks and ultimately winning a Super Bowl.
Lewis believes that Jones offers them a similar situation, given the parallels in their NFL careers to this point. He described his ideal contract situation as one that would be desirable in a potential alternative to McCarthy, though it could also make him difficult to pry away from the 49ers.
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“The biggest hurdle here might be prying Jones from San Francisco. The 49ers are going to drive a hard bargain … If the 49ers keep Jones, they’ll be in line for a solid compensatory pick after the 2026 season. This increases their leverage, which will drive up the cost for Jones,” added Lewis.
McCarthy finished just 37th of 48 qualified quarterbacks in PFSN’s Impact Rankings for last season, while Jones impressively finished 9th while temporarily filling in for Brock Purdy. This could make it challenging to convince the 49ers to let him go, but with the right offer, he could be an upgrade for the Vikings.
