The Vikings didn’t reveal their entire hand this week at the NFL scouting combine when it comes to how they will solve their quarterback question, but they at least hinted at their cards.
In a session with local media on Tuesday — eschewing a podium appearance for a larger national audience — head coach Kevin O’Connell and interim General Manager Rob Brzezinski gave more strong signals about the franchise’s mindset heading into 2026.
The most telling quote, to me, was this from Brzezinski: “What we do know is we need a level of baseline quarterback play for us to be effective. A lot of this is, has been J.J. [McCarthy] in an unfortunate [situation] with some of the injuries and things that he’s dealt with. But we’re going to explore every opportunity. We can’t manufacture what’s not there. So, number one, where are the options? Is it reciprocal? Is it financially doable? All of those things. There’s just a lot of factors that go into it."
That spells things out pretty clearly, as I talked about on Wednesday’s Daily Delivery podcast.
What specifically comes to mind when I see “we need a level of baseline quarterback play?” Let’s get into that at the start of today’s 10 things to know:
- The obvious thing is an acknowledgement that the Vikings did not get that in 2025, which nobody would debate. McCarthy struggled mightily. Backup Carson Wentz, signed late, had better counting numbers but was graded poorly overall. Undrafted rookie Max Brosmer was a nice story but he wasn’t a viable starting QB when thrust into that role.
- And of course that stood in contrast to the two years when the Vikings have had healthy and productive QBs giving them a baseline of competence (and more) under O’Connell: 2022 and 2024, when they won a combined 27 regular-season games. The years they struggled, 2023 and 2025, they shuffled through seven starting QBs and often had poor results.
- But what does that mean for 2026? My first thought was that it doesn’t mean good things for McCarthy. He has a long way to go from both a production standpoint and durability standpoint to give them that baseline level of play. It was the clearest sign yet that the Vikings are very open to someone else winning (or claiming outright) the starting QB job in 2026.
- An impending possible low-cost free agent who fits the “baseline” qualification? Kirk Cousins. The Falcons are going to release him in a couple of weeks. Does a reunion here make sense given where both the player and organization are in their timelines?
- I’m more intrigued by other options. Is Joe Burrow in play, given that Brzezinski also said the Vikings are “exploring all possibilities?” Does Derek Carr, who is a few years younger than Cousins and has said he wants to un-retire for the right situation, a better solution for a possible multiyear run? If Kyler Murray is cut by the Cardinals, could he be a bounce-back candidate?
- The hindsight of all this is that there was a QB available to the Vikings in the 2024 draft who fit the “baseline” definition: Bo Nix. He was older (24 then, now just turned 26) and was thought to have a lower ceiling than the other first rounders that year, including McCarthy. But he’s had two durable and productive years in Denver and could very well have led the Broncos to a Super Bowl berth if not for an unfortunate injury before the AFC title game in January (his only missed start in two seasons). The Vikings’ aim and needs were different before the 2024 draft than they are now, but they would have been able to execute the rest of their plan with Nix.
- Also on Wednesday’s podcast, I chatted with the Star Tribune’s Sarah McLellan about the gold medal-winning U.S. men’s hockey team and the sprint to the finish coming up for the Wild.
- The Wolves need more of the Jaden McDaniels they saw in Tuesday’s win over Portland down the stretch of this season.
- Former Minnesota United manager Eric Ramsay, who left the Loons six weeks ago to take over as head coach of West Bromwich Albion F.C. in the English second division, has already been sacked after a long winless stretch.
- La Velle E. Neal III and I will talk more about the Loons, Vikings and Wild on Thursday’s podcast.
