Kevin O’Connell Breaks Silence on Vikings’ Plans to Add QB Ahead of NFL Draft

The Minnesota Vikings have held off for weeks on the addition of a QB2 behind presumed starter J.J. McCarthy, but the franchise is likely to make a move soon.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell opened up about the Vikings’ plans to add another quarterback just three days ahead of the NFL draft on Monday, April 21.

“We’ve been patient and really evaluated a lot of different ways we could potentially do that,” O’Connell said, per Kevin Seifert of ESPN. “There’s potential trades and free agency and still the draft. We’re going through a process of just figuring out who is the player that we want to solidify that room with knowing that J.J. and Brett [Rypien] are here working, starting today. And eventually we’ll complete that room and still have a competitive situation in there, however you look at it.”

Vikings Likely to Add 2 QBs, but Options Dwindling

GettyQuarterback J.J. McCarthy of the Minnesota Vikings.

As of Monday, McCarthy and Rypien are the only two players in the Vikings’ quarterback room. The team is likely to have four signal callers on the roster heading into the summer, like most organizations around the league do.

The fourth QB could come via an undrafted free agent or a young player looking for a fresh start with a new franchise. Such QBs typically find themselves relegated to the practice squad heading into Week 1.

However, Minnesota needs a real option with real experience to slot in behind McCarthy, especially given his injury history. McCarthy missed his entire rookie campaign in 2024 due to a knee injury he suffered in August, which required two surgeries to fully repair.

The Vikings had a chance to add Aaron Rodgers earlier this offseason, and presumably still do as he remains a free agent, though they have already passed on that opportunity once. The thinking around the league is that Rodgers is interested in a starting job and Minnesota doesn’t want to put the kind of pressure on McCarthy that would come with a four-time MVP stalking him on the depth chart.

Kirk Cousins Resurfaces as Option for Vikings

GettyAtlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins.

Another potential option is a trade for Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins. That notion picked up considerable steam on Monday after ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported interest in Cousins on behalf of both the Vikings and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“Atlanta has asked for any acquiring team to pay $20 million of the $37.5 million worth of guarantees left on Cousins’ contract. To date, no [team] has been willing to do that, and no team is expected to be willing to,” Schefter wrote. “There is a feeling around the league that a team, whether it is the Vikings or Steelers, might be willing to pay down roughly $10 million.”

Cousins would presumably be open to at least the possibility of a return to Minnesota considering his long history of success there. However, he is looking for an opportunity to start somewhere next season when he will play at 37 years old and has a no-trade clause in his contract.

If Cousins doesn’t like his chances to earn the QB1 spot over McCarthy, he may decide to shut down a return to the Vikings’ huddle.