Perhaps the Minnesota Vikings’ failure to secure a playoff berth can be traced back to the constant shuffling at one of the most critical positions on the field. Whether due to injury, inconsistent play, or other circumstances, JJ McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer all saw action during a 9–8 campaign that ultimately left Kevin O’Connell‘s team well short of its preseason aspirations.
It’s a situation the head coach is determined not to repeat next season, and he told reporters that building a deeper quarterback room will be a priority — even raising the standard across the board. In that sense, McCarthy’s grip on the starting job may not be completely secure, based on O’Connell’s comments.
“Ultimately, I think in the quarterback room, it’s about having just the deepest, [most] talented room you possibly can, every single year,” the HC told reporters on Tuesday. “What that looks like at a pretty impactful position on your salary cap, when you’re able to possibly plan for your depth chart looking in a way where you can be competitive no matter what.”
He also added: “I think there has to be (competition at quarterback). I think that’s what’s gonna make everybody better in that room. It’s gonna be what makes our entire offense thrive through that competition.”
Kevin O’Connell of the Minnesota Vikings and J.J. McCarthy.
Competition will bring out the best in McCarthy
While injuries once again proved to be a recurring issue for McCarthy — though nowhere near as severe as during his rookie season — increasing internal competition within the quarterback room could ultimately benefit the former Wolverine, according to the Vikings‘ head coach.
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“J.J., I was really encouraged by the type of football he started to play towards the second half of the season and finishing the way he did,” O’Connell said. “We spend a lot of time talking about what the layers of change really were, and I think we all just tried to have a mindset on completions and however we could generate them, we started to see a little bit of that show up.
“We saw some explosives show up. We saw the ability to kind of balance that with what I thought at many points this year, our run game was productive enough for us to move the football and stay in a lot of games.”
JJ McCarthy, QB1 for the Minnesota Vikings
McCarthy’s numbers this season
In his first season as a starter in 2025, J.J. McCarthy recorded 1,632 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, finishing the year with a 35.7 QBR. Despite showing flashes of his potential, his debut campaign was severely hampered by a series of injuries, including a high-ankle sprain, a concussion, and a late-season hairline fracture in his right hand. These setbacks forced him to miss seven games, limiting him to just 10 starts and preventing him from finding a consistent rhythm in the Vikings’ offense.
