The Minnesota Vikings are heading into 2026 with a QB room of Kyler Murray, Carson Wentz, and J.J. McCarthy.
Many are asking if there’s even a reason to keep McCarthy around town if Minnesota felt compelled enough to sign Murray. Murray still has good years ahead of him, and isn’t the typical “bridge” QB. When he’s on, he’s arguably a top-12 signal caller in the league.
There’s no denying that Vikings’ QB J.J. McCarthy has had bountiful struggles already in his young NFL career. Including playoffs, McCarthy has only been available for 10 of a total 35 games. That looks even worse when he failed to finish two of them (@NYG, vs. GB in 2025).
So, what if neither Kyler Murray nor J.J. McCarthy work out? Well, an idea was floated regarding a well-known QB as a contingency plan next offseason.
Vikings Mentioned in Baker Mayfield Watch
TAMPA, FLORIDA – AUGUST 11: Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looks on during a preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Raymond James Stadium on August 11, 2023 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Rick Stroud recently reported that Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers are “nowhere close” on extension numbers. Those words are per Mayfield himself.
Adam Carlson of The Viking Age brought up Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield as a possible failsafe plan for the Vikings next season.
“Baker has provided stability at the quarterback position while attempting to fill the shoes of a legend in Tampa Bay. In Minnesota, Vikings fans would love to have stability after what they saw on the field from the offense last season.
There is still plenty of time for Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to work things out. However, if they don’t figure things out, the front office of the Minnesota Vikings would be foolish not to consider bringing him to U.S. Bank Stadium to help the purple and gold be competitive going forward.”
This would be quite on-brand for the Minnesota Vikings. They’ve always been one to sign a mercenary QB. However, they must worry about the current mercenary QB they already have in Kyler Murray. We’ve got a long way to go before we truly start considering Baker Mayfield for the Vikings.
UDFA WR Dillon Bell Having Strong Offseason
GettyINDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – FEBRUARY 28: Dillon Bell of the Georgia Bulldogs participates in a drill during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 28, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Will Ragatz of Sports Illustrated shared an update on Dillon Bell, who has been having a strong showcase so far through OTAs.
“If there was one winner from the two Vikings OTA practices that were open to the media, it’s probably quarterback Kyler Murray…
..the next-biggest winner might just be undrafted rookie wide receiver Dillon Bell, who was one of Murray’s favorite targets over the course of both open practices. Bell had a sequence in the May 27 practice where he caught passes from Murray on back-to-back reps in 7-on-7: an intermediate crossing route toward the sideline and then an in-breaker over the middle. Then, on June 4, that same thing happened again, with Murray finding Bell for downfield chunks on two straight plays to different sides of the field.”
This is good news for a Vikings team lacking a lot of depth behind the top 3 WRs. While their top 3 is probably one of the best trios in the NFL, there’s a void behind them. There is plenty of opportunity for Dillon Bell to achieve the WR4 spot. Standing in his way in likely second-year WR Tai Felton out of Maryland.
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