With the 10th overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings drafted Michigan National Champion quarterback J.J. McCarthy to be the next leader of the franchise.
Since joining the team, things haven’t been as advertised with McCarthy. Due to inconsistent play, the Vikings have been linked to a potential veteran quarterback in free agency.
Minnesota Vikings Reunite With Former Quarterback To Compete With J.J. McCarthy
Following Kirk Cousins’ departure to the Atlanta Falcons, the Vikings drafted McCarthy to be the team’s next franchise quarterback. However, that plan was put on hold after the rookie tore his meniscus in the preseason.
Thus, the 2025 season was the first time that McCarthy played in meaningful regular-season games. Despite having a number of offensive weapons, like All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson, McCarthy was never able to get it going in his first actual year.
This past season, McCarthy completed 57.6% of passes for 1632 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Despite the poor throwing, he was able to add 181 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns on 37 carries. In PFSN’s NFL Quarterback Impact Metric (QBi), McCarthy ranked 37th out of qualified quarterbacks with an impact score of 64.5 and a letter grade of D.
The Vikings are only one year removed from going 14-3 and looking like a real contender with future Super Bowl 60 champion Sam Darnold, but poor quarterback play left them at 9-8 in 2025.
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Although it isn’t yet time to sound the alarms in Minnesota, suspicions are definitely raised regarding McCarthy’s future with the organization. However, there are rumors that a former Pro Bowl quarterback could be released, and it’s none other than Cousins himself.
In regard to a potential reunion with the Vikings, PFSN’s Jacob Infante writes:
“Wouldn’t it be a funny turn of events if Cousins left the Minnesota Vikings, only for the two sides to reunite just two years later? From a timeline perspective, it certainly makes sense. J.J. McCarthy had a disappointing first year as their starting quarterback, yet they still finished 9-8.
“By that logic, the Vikings could be a playoff team with even a minor upgrade at the quarterback position. Cousins isn’t the Pro Bowl-caliber QB he used to be, but an argument could be made that he’s still better than McCarthy. This move wouldn’t be giving up on the latter; it would be giving him more time to develop and push Minnesota into the playoffs.”
It would be ironic for Cousins to return to the team after all that ensued in the 2024 offseason, but he could actually compete for the starting job. At the very least, it’s a veteran presence to guide McCarthy, who is familiar with the Vikings’ offense.
