The Minnesota Vikings were bullish enough on JJ McCarthy’s prospects that they let Sam Darnold leave to help build a Super Bowl contender in Seattle, but the rhetoric coming from the upper ranks of the organization no longer lines up with that level of enthusiasm less than one year later.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah spoke with media members on Tuesday, January 13 following a 9-8 season, which Minnesota closed on a five-game winning streak. One reporter asked the Vikings GM directly if he “wanted” McCarthy to be the team’s starter in 2026.
“I don’t know that that’s [pause] — I want the Vikings to achieve our goals. And I think one of those goals is to make playoff runs and do different things like that,” Adofo-Mensah responded. “I think he has the character and ability to be the person and do that for our organization. If I say that in 2026, that kind of binds us into a certain, you know, area.”
He continued with the lengthy response that NFL insider Ari Meirov described as a “bit of a word-salad answer — and not exactly a commitment in any way.”
“The way we’ve set this team up, we’ve built this core to really, like we’ve always talked about, give ourselves multiple shots at it, because you never know when there’s gonna be a year where the field feels a little bit wide open and you can make that run,” Adofo-Mensah added. “And so that’s what we’re really focused on. Talking about whether it’s this year or next year isn’t really my immediate reflection.”
JJ McCarthy Missed 7 Starts With Injuries Last Season, Was Inconsistent When He Played
GettyMinnesota Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy.
McCarthy, the No. 10 pick in the 2024 draft who turns 23 years old next week, had the opportunity to lock up the QB1 role in Minnesota for the foreseeable future last season. However, he fell short due to a mixture of injuries and inconsistent play.
After missing his entire rookie campaign with a knee injury, McCarthy sat out five games this year with a high-ankle sprain that he sustained in Week 2. He then missed another contest due to a concussion and sat out a game and a half due to a hairline fracture in his throwing hand.
McCarthy started 10 times in 2025, earning a record of 6-4. He threw for 1,632 yards, 11 TDs and 12 INTs on a completion rate of 57.6 percent. He also rushed the football 37 times for 181 yards and four scores.
Type of QBs Vikings Target in Offseason Will Speak Volumes as to JJ McCarthy’s Standing Within Organization
GettyMinnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell.
Minnesota has made no secret of the fact that it will hunt for more talent in the quarterback room over the offseason. The relevant question involves what kind of talent that will be.
Fans can know for certain that McCarthy is facing longterm competition for the QB1 job if the Vikings try to sign Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis in free agency or trade with the San Francisco 49ers for Mac Jones, given their respective ages and performance levels as oft-used backups for playoff teams in 2025.
If Minnesota pursues a veteran like Aaron Rodgers or Joe Flacco, McCarthy could lose the starting role to begin the season. However, he would theoretically have a chance to win it back at some point following the 2026 campaign, if not before then based on injuries or poor play from a veteran nearing the end of his professional career.
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