Will J.J. McCarthy Remain Vikings' QB1? GM Talks Roster Plans for 2026 Season in Video

One can guess that Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy isn't guaranteed to be the team's starter next year based on general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah's comments Tuesday when asked if he wants the ex-Michigan star to be Minnesota's QB1 in 2026.

"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," the Adofo-Mensah said.

"I think he's the character and ability to be the person to do that for our organization. If I say that in 2026, that kind of binds us into a certain area. The way we set this team up, we built this core to really, like we've always talked about, give ourselves multiple shots at it, because you never know when there's going to be a year where the field's a little bit wide open and you can make that run. And so that's where we're really focused on, talking about whether it's this year or next year isn't really my immediate reflection. It's my job to really bring that deep competitive room that we've talked about to the Vikings."

In 10 starts, McCarthy threw for 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He completed 57.6 percent of his passes for 1,632 yards and rushed for 181 yards and four scores. Per Pro Football Reference, McCarthy finished 40th among 41 qualified passers in quarterback rating (72.6).

The Vikings selected McCarthy with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. They traded up one spot with the New York Jets to land him.

McCarthy missed all of 2024 after suffering a torn meniscus during his team's first preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

He returned in 2025 and began the season as the team's starter. Unfortunately, numerous injuries sidelined McCarthy, including a high ankle sprain (five games), a concussion (one game) and a small hairline fracture (one game).

Certainly, injuries have played a role in hampering McCarthy's development. He's missed almost a year-and-a-half out of two possible seasons, and it's unfortunate for someone who had scouts excited for his potential after leading Michigan to a 15-0 record and national championship in 2023.

However, Minnesota did have a rough offensive year overall. The Vikings finished 26th in scoring despite having one of the game's top offensive talents in wide receiver Justin Jefferson and other impressive skill-position players, such as running back Aaron Jones, wideouts Jordan Addison and Jalen Nailor and tight end T.J. Hockenson.

The defense was one of the better units in the league (Minnesota was No. 7 in fewest points allowed), and kicker Will Reichard was a First Team All-Pro, so the D and special teams did their jobs. Those units led Minnesota to a 9-8 record, including a five-game win streak to end the season.

So what's next? The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported that Minnesota wants to look at "established" options through free agency or trade to bring in some competition. Along those lines, ESPN's Kevin Seifert wrote Minnesota is looking into "adding a starting-caliber veteran" at QB. He also noted the team was interested in re-signing Daniel Jones last year before he left for the Indianapolis Colts.

Ultimately, the Vikings have to fix their offense to reach their potential. Based on Adofo-Mensah's remarks and recent reports, it appears possible that a new QB1 could be starting Week 1 next year.