The Minnesota Vikings have been waiting to sign a backup quarterback for new starter J.J. McCarthy for a calculated reason, as waiting until May will lock in what should be multiple compensatory picks for the 2026 NFL Draft.
The downside of their plan is that the free agent quarterback pool is gradually drying up.
The Cleveland Browns might have tossed a wrench into Minnesota’s plans when they worked out a deal to bring back QB Joe Flacco.
Given his status in the league as a former Super Bowl MVP, Flacco felt like the perfect pairing for McCarthy as a veteran who’s been around and played in a ton of big games throughout his 17-year NFL career. His reported contract — basically an incentive-laden, $4 million deal — would have been a perfect number for a Minnesota team that’s committed about $300 million to player contracts this offseason.
Again, signing a quarterback now could offset one of Minnesota’s projected compensatory picks, and for a team short on draft capital, holding onto those future selections is crucial.
With that said, Minnesota’s best options — Spend big for Aaron Rodgers? Wait for Kirk Cousins? Settle for Ryan Tannehill or Teddy Bridgewater? — are dwindling, and it could end up being easy to second-guess the team’s decision to kick the can down the road at backup QB.
