Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy hasn’t been overly sharp early on this preseason, which should be cause for concern throughout the organization.
Struggles in June for a 22-year-old entering his second NFL season aren’t uncommon — particularly in McCarthy’s case after missing his entire rookie campaign with an injury. But difficulties against one’s own team in practice, which McCarthy suffered last week by throwing at least one interception on three consecutive days, isn’t an issue smart teams overlook.
The Cleveland Browns‘ recent history offers a case study in the form of Dorian Thompson-Robinson. He was a preseason star in 2023 and 2024. However, his regular season numbers told a different story (1-4 record, 52.6% completion rate, 880 yards, 1 TD and 10 INTs). Cleveland recently traded the 25-year-old to the Philadelphia Eagles.
In fairness, the Thompson-Robinson/McCarthy comparison isn’t apples to apples. The former was a fifth-rounder playing against mostly second-stringers or worse, while McCarthy was the No. 10 pick and is playing against mostly Vikings starters already familiar with the scheme.
Still, the point stands that the Vikings don’t have another truly viable starter to whom they can turn if McCarthy struggles mightily early on or suffers an injury. It’s easy to say one shouldn’t criticize him before he ever takes a regular-season NFL snap and that bringing in a veteran QB might undermine McCarthy’s confidence and/or his standing with the team.
However, it’s also true that Minnesota won 14 games last season and has a championship-caliber roster. Taking a big swing on McCarthy in 2025 is fine, but failing to back him up with either a seasoned veteran or at least another young player with high upside potential as a starter is a potentially enormous mistake the Vikings can avoid by simply acquiring another signal-caller in the near future.
Kirk Cousins Represents 1 Path Vikings Could Take to Add QB Insurance Behind J.J. McCarthy
GettyAtlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins.
If a veteran backup QB is what Minnesota would prefer, a deal to reunite Kirk Cousins with head coach Kevin O’Connell makes considerable sense.
The Atlanta Falcons want out of the Cousins business after just one season. They are willing to pay a reasonable amount of his $27.5 million base salary in 2025, and probably only need one moderate asset in return to get a deal done.
Seth Walder of ESPN authored a trade proposal on June 4, in which the Vikings flip backup quarterback Sam Howell to the Falcons in exchange for Cousins and agree to take on less than half of Cousins’ salary for the upcoming season.
“The key to the compensation for a Cousins deal is how much of his guaranteed money the acquiring team will take on,” Walder said, suggesting Minnesota might pay $12 million. “This would allow Atlanta to save a little face and get out of the situation with a different backup quarterback. For Minnesota, the upgrade at backup QB is more important because of the McCarthy situation.”
However, if Cousins’ health history or history with O’Connell and some of the roster feels like too much of a threat to McCarthy from the Vikings’ point of view, there is always the prospect of a trade for Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson to consider.
Anthony Richardson Represents Potential Home Run Swing for Vikings
GettyIndianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson.
Richardson was the No. 4 pick in 2023. However, he battled injury during his rookie campaign and struggled enough during Year 2 that the Colts benched him for a time in favor of Joe Flacco.
There is now new ownership in Indy after the death of Jim Irsay earlier this year, and his three daughters (who have control of the team) may have different ideas about the current general manager, head coach and quarterback. Beyond that, Richardson could lose his starting job permanently before the regular season even begins.
Richardson has elite arm strength and mobility, and he could potentially prove a superstar if developed to his fullest potential. Playing for a head coach like O’Connell might be the only path to that eventual outcome.
O’Connell and Richardson have a relationship, which they displayed last season after the Vikings bested the Colts in a game during which the young QB served as Flacco’s back up.
Kevin O’Connell’s words of encouragement for Anthony Richardson:
“Hey, do me a favor and remember something,” O’Connell said. “You’re a bad dude, and you’re going to play a long time in this league. Go to work every day. Good things will happen for you. I still believe in you.”
Richardson likely isn’t as capable as Cousins of leading the Vikings to glory this season if McCarthy can’t for whatever reason. However, Richardson is more experienced than McCarthy with a record of 8-7 and far more talented than Howell.
Richardson also has two years remaining on his $34 million rookie contract. Competition is the name of the game in the NFL, so having another talented player to push McCarthy — which McCarthy said earlier this preseason he welcomes — wouldn’t be a bad thing in Minnesota, especially if that player is as gifted and inexpensive as Richardson would be.
