Latest Vikings Rumors on J.J. McCarthy's Future as QB1, GM Search Ahead of NFL Draft, Free Agency

After shaking things up by firing general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on Jan. 30, the Minnesota Vikings reportedly are not as tied to J.J. McCarthy as they previously were.

According to ESPN's Kevin Seifert, "all bets are off" regarding McCarthy's future as the Minnesota's starting quarterback in the wake of the change at general manager.

As for who the next general manager could be, Seifert noted it is "striking" the number of people in the NFL who think Mark Wilf and Zygi Wilf, who own the Vikings, will go after George Paton.

Paton is currently the general manager for the Denver Broncos and under contract through next season, but prior to taking the Broncos job in 2021 he spent 14 seasons in Minnesota's front office.

There was an apparent divide within the organization last year about McCarthy's readiness to step in as the starter and their plan at quarterback entering 2025.

The Athletic's Alec Lewis and Dianna Russini reported in the aftermath of Adofo-Mensah's firing that Vikings officials had expressed "concerns" about whether or not McCarthy was ready to handle a starting job going back to the spring of 2025.

The Vikings missed out on bringing in more accomplished quarterbacks who could step in if McCarthy got injured or struggled. They famously let Sam Darnold leave in free agency to sign with the Seattle Seahawks, despite his success in head coach Kevin O'Connell's system in 2024.

Daniel Jones, who finished the 2024 season on Minnesota's roster after being released by the New York Giants, was part of the Vikings' plans for last season before he found a better opportunity with the Indianapolis Colts in free agency.

Aaron Rodgers was on Minnesota's radar at one point before the club opted to give McCarthy a chance to prove himself. The 23-year-old didn't exactly run with the opportunity, finishing with 1,632 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 10 starts this season.

Justin Jefferson has publicly supported McCarthy, though he isn't necessarily giving full-throated endorsements for the young quarterback.

The Vikings seem like they will take their time in hiring a new general manager. They have already said Rob Brzezinski, who has been their executive vice president of football operations since 2014, will run the front office through the draft.

McCarthy's struggles combined with Adofo-Mensah's firing certainly indicate the Vikings will be in the quarterback market this offseason. This isn't a strong draft at the quarterback position, so they don't seem likely to address the position with a rookie.

The list of potential veteran options who could be available via free agency or trade includes Tua Tagovailoa, Kyler Murray, Mac Jones, Malik Willis and Jimmy Garoppolo.

None of these are slam-dunk players who will clearly push the Vikings over the top as they look to get back in the NFC playoff race next season, but they just need to get more stable play from the position in 2026.