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4 QB Paths the Minnesota Vikings Can Take This Offseason

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Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell in 2025
Jan 4, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell looks on against the Green Bay Packers during the first quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.

There has been a lot of hoopla surrounding the Minnesota Vikings and the quarterback position so far this offseason.

That topic has only picked up steam in the aftermath of the firing of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah last Friday, following which many talking points circulated that not everybody was on the same page with how the position was handled last offseason when Sam Darnold was let go.

Now, the Vikings have to make a really big decision this offseason at that quarterback spot, which could shape the direction of the franchise for the next decade. With so many options being thrown out there, here are the four paths Minnesota can take at quarterback this offseason.

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Stand Pat with J.J. McCarthy as the Sure Starter

J.J. McCarthy throws a pass against the Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy drops back and delivers a first-quarter throw at U.S. Bank Stadium, Jan 4, 2026, in Minneapolis against the Green Bay Packers. The snapshot captured McCarthy operating within the structure of the offense early, as Minnesota looked to establish rhythm and tempo during a high-stakes divisional matchup. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.

This probably won’t happen based on the Minnesota’s current QB options, but technically, they could decide to just stick with what they have.

Perhaps there is no doubt that McCarthy is the starting quarterback heading into 2026, which wouldn’t be entirely out of the realm of possibility after his fairly strong conclusion to the season prior to his hand injury, and they don’t want to spend more money on the position when there are other pretty glaring needs on the roster.

That being said, this is very unlikely to happen given McCarthy’s concerning injury history over his first two NFL seasons. As of now, the Vikings only have Max Brosmer as the backup option behind their 2024 first-round pick. Brosmer was signed as an undrafted free agent last season, and when he did play last year while McCarthy was out with various injuries, it was pretty apparent he is not ready to start at the NFL level.

Bring in a Veteran Free Agent to Compete

Minnesota Vikings Qb
Nov 21, 2022; Mexico City, MEX; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) celebrates after his touchdown pass against the Arizona Cardinals during the second half at Estadio Azteca. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-Imagn Images.

Let’s say the Vikings are still plenty confident that McCarthy is capable of starting at the NFL level, but they just want to give him an extra “umph” of competition heading into training camp while also having an insurance policy in case the injury bug bites him again.

There are a number of free agents out there who could be cheap enough to reasonably bring in as a backup quarterback while also pushing McCarthy in camp and potentially being an extra voice in his ear this season.

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One name that comes to mind is Jimmy Garoppolo, who spent the 2025 season as the backup for the Los Angeles Rams. Vikings fans will remember that Kevin O’Connell came from Sean McVay’s system before he took the head coaching job in Minnesota. Garoppolo also had plenty of experience with Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco. If there is a veteran QB who will immediately be ready to play in O’Connell’s system, it’s hard to rationalize one better fitted for it than Garoppolo.

Trade for a Bonafide Starter

Jan 5, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) against the San Francisco 49ers at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Vikings could go down this path for a number of reasons.

Perhaps they flat out don’t believe McCarthy should be the starting quarterback moving forward, and Minnesota simply wants to turn the page by bringing in an established starter and not having to think about the position again for a few years.

On the other hand, maybe they think McCarthy can be a starter down the road, but the play he put on tape in 2025 showed the coaching staff and front office that the time for him to be under center is not right now if Minnesota wants to compete sooner than later.

Two names have continuously circulated around the Vikings if they were to try to trade for a true, bonafide starting quarterback: Kyler Murray and Joe Burrow.

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Murray makes a bit of sense if they want to go all in on 2026 while still offering McCarthy a chance to develop and eventually start down the road. He is under contract through 2027, and while his cap hits of $52.66 million and $43.5 million over the next two years may seem daunting, they rank 8th and 10th in the NFL over those two years. The Vikings would also only eat $7.2 million of that $43.5 million in 2027 if they decided it was time to part ways.

However, if the Vikings ended up going the Burrow option and somehow put together a package of picks and players to convince the Bengals to part with the 2020 No. 1 overall pick, that would instantly indicate they are building around their new quarterback for the long haul. Burrow is under contract through 2029 with ever growing cap numbers through that year.

Take Another Stab in the Draft

Jan 1, 2026; Pasadena, CA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson (15) passes against the Indiana Hoosiers in the first half of the 2026 Rose Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Given the depth of the QB class in this year’s draft, this is probably the least likely option heading into 2026. Of course, Fernando Mendoza is being chalked in as the No. 1 overall pick this April whether that be to the Las Vegas Raiders or another team via trade.

After that though, the options get thin in a hurry, especially now that Dante Moore has announced he will be going back to Oregon for another year.

The most obvious choice would be Ty Simpson out of Alabama, who is the other QB who could end up landing in the latter half of the first round or early in the second round. Simpson isn’t the most physically gifted player with underwhelming size and arm speed, but he has tremendous poise in the pocket that could turn him into a starting caliber player at the NFL level.

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In this scenario, Minnesota almost certainly would ship McCarthy out for picks. The question is: are the Vikings really ready to use another high end pick on a quarterback experiment without landing the best player in the class?


Editor’s Note: Information from Spotrac helped with this article.

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Josh Frey is a senior writer at both PurplePTSD.com and VikingsTerritory.com, with a fascination for the NFL Draft. To … More about Josh Frey

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Aryna Sabalenka tops Coco Gauff to secure Miami crown and Sunshine Double | Other Sports News

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Aryna Sabalenka beat Coco Gauff in the Miami Open women’s singles final 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 on Saturday.


The world No. 1 overpowered fourth-ranked Gauff in the first and third sets with sizzling groundstroke winners and became the first player to accomplish the “Sunshine Double” – winning Indian Wells followed by Miami in the same season – since Iga Swiatek in 2022.


It was Sabalenka’s second straight title at the Miami Open, Gauff’s hometown tournament, and put her ahead of Gauff in their head-to-head record, 7-6.


“You’ve pushed me to be a better player,” Sabalenka said during the ceremony, before adding about the crowd, “You always bring a full stadium.” 
The match lasted 2 hours, 11 minutes and ended on Gauff getting broken for the fourth time with a wide backhand.

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Gauff fought back to force the third set, but couldn’t maintain the momentum she appeared to get from the deafening crowd supporting her.


“It sucks not to come out with a better result but I had a lot of joy this week,” Gauff said to the crowd. “You guys brought energy every day this week.” 
Sabalenka at times was frustrated by the fan noise, including when someone yelled “out” during a long rally. She used a curse word at the fan and the chair umpire warned the crowd, but also gave a code violation to Sabalenka.


“I shouldn’t be that rude, but come on, you cannot do that,” Sabalenka said at the ceremony. “So let’s agree we were both wrong, so sorry.” 
Gauff’s off-and-on serve created seven double faults while Sabalenka registered none.

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Sabalenka broke Gauff in the first game of the third set, helped by a Gauff double fault and an unforced error. On break point, Sabalenka crunched a backhand winner.


“I was disappointed about that first game of the third set up 30-0 with momentum,” Gauff said. “It was an important game to win in that moment.” 
The match was attended by Kai Trump, President Donald Trump’s granddaughter and a golfer at the University of Miami. She posted a photo with Sabalenka at the tournament on social media Friday.


Sabalenka, who earned her 24th pro title, said before the match she was happy Gauff had found her best tennis in her home tournament at which she had never gotten past the fourth round.

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Amnesty warns 2026 World Cup across North American risks becoming ‘stage for repression’

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Amnesty International warned this summer’s football World Cup, spread across three North American countries, risks becoming a “stage for repression” in a report published Monday.

The London-based human rights organisation’s report — “Humanity Must Win” — called on both FIFA and host countries the US, Canada and Mexico to take urgent action to protect fans, players and other communities.

FIFA has promised a tournament where everyone “feels safe, included and free to exercise their rights”. 

But Amnesty said that pledge sits in “stark contrast” to conditions on the ground in all three host nations, especially the US, which hosts three-quarters of the 104 matches.

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Amnesty described the US as facing a “human rights emergency” under the Trump administration, marked by mass deportations, arbitrary arrests and what it called “paramilitary-style” Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations.

The acting director of ICE said last month the agency will be “a key part of the overall security apparatus for the World Cup”. 

This comes despite anger at the killing of two American citizens who were protesting aggressive ICE raids in Minneapolis in January.

Read moreIran ‘negotiating’ with FIFA over moving World Cup games from US to Mexico

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‘Pay the price’

Amnesty said none of the published host city plans address how fans or local communities will be protected from ICE operations.

Fans from four nations taking part this summer — Ivory Coast, Haiti, Iran and Senegal — face US travel bans and LGBTQ+ fan groups from England and across Europe have said they will not attend matches in the US, citing risks to transgender supporters in particular.

“This World Cup is very far from the ‘medium risk’ tournament that FIFA once judged it to be, and urgent efforts are needed to bridge the growing gap between the tournament’s original promise and today’s reality,” the report said.

FIFA said earlier this month the 48-team tournament — the biggest World Cup in history — will proceed “as scheduled” with all teams taking part, despite uncertainty over Iran‘s presence due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

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The global football governing body, which has been heavily criticised over its decision to award a newly created “Peace Prize” to President Trump in December 2025, stands to earn $11 billion from the tournament cycle.

“While FIFA generates record revenues from the 2026 World Cup, fans, communities, players, journalists and workers cannot be made to pay the price,” said Steve Cockburn, Amnesty’s head of economic and social justice.

“It is these people — not governments, sponsors or FIFA — to whom football belongs, and their rights must be at the centre of the tournament.” 

The World Cup kicks off on June 11 at the Mexico City Stadium with the final scheduled for July 19 at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

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(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

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UConn stuns Duke in Elite Eight matchup

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The UConn Huskies needed to dig themselves out of a hole in the second half against the Duke Blue Devils, and behind Braylon Mullins’ clutch 3-pointer and Tarris Reed Jr.’s high-percentage scoring, they were able to pull off an incredible comeback victory to advance to the Final Four.

The Huskies were able to effectively pressure the Blue Devils into a turnover with less than seven seconds left. Caden Boozer had his pass deflected and the ball got into Mullins’ hands.

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Braylon Mullins celebrates

UConn guard Braylon Mullins (24) celebrates after a basket against Duke during the second half in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Washington.  (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Braylon Mullins with his teammates

UConn guard Braylon Mullins, right, celebrates his game winning basket with guard Malachi Smith (0) during the second half in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament against Duke, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Washington.  (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

The freshman was well beyond the 3-point line when he chucked up the ball. His prayer was answered as the ball went through the back of the net. UConn’s 19-point comeback was complete as the Huskies’ bench jumped in jubilation.

UConn was able to get the ball into Reed many times over the course of the game and for nearly half of the second half, the Huskies were in the bonus. Reed finished with 26 points on 10-of-16 from the field with nine rebounds. He was 6-of-9 from the free-throw line.

MICHIGAN ROUTS TENNESSEE TO WIN REGIONAL FINAL, ENTER NCAA MEN’S FINAL FOUR

Duke's Dame Sarr celebrates a basket

Duke guard Dame Sarr celebrates a basket against UConn during the first half in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Washington.  (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Duke was up three points with 28 seconds to go. UConn guard Silas Demary Jr. was fouled and went to the free-throw line for two shots. He missed the first and made the second. The second free throw enabled UConn to set up its press defense and force the turnover in the end.

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The Huskies outscored the Blue Devils 44-28 in the second half after being down 44-29 in the first half.

Cameron Boozer led Duke with 27 points and grabbed eight rebounds.

Tarris Reed Jr dunks the ball

UConn forward Tarris Reed Jr. (5) dunks during the second half against Duke in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Washington.  (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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UConn is back in the Final Four for the third time in three years. The Huskies will be looking to get back to the national championship after winning two titles in the last three years. UConn will take on Illinois and Michigan will go up against Arizona in the Final Four.

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Fans slam Bubba Wallace for causing a 15-car wreck at Martinsville

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Bubba Wallace was at the center of the biggest wreck of the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. Fans online reacted strongly after a late-race crash triggered by the 23XI Racing driver caused a multi-car pileup and ended the race for three cars.

Wallace spent much of the race hovering around the middle of the field, struggling to move forward on a track where passing often comes down to tight, physical racing. Martinsville’s nature means bumpers are constantly in play, especially in congested traffic. But this time, what initially looked like routine contact escalated.

Wallace made repeated contact with Carson Hocevar while entering Turn 4 and through the corner. With limited space on the outside lane, Hocevar was forced up into Zane Smith. The contact sent Smith hard into the outside wall and triggered a stack-up behind. Within seconds, the track had over a dozen cars piled in with nowhere to go.

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The crash involved Austin Dillon, Daniel Suarez, Chris Buescher, Erik Jones, Connor Zilisch, Riley Herbst, and others. Wallace spun in the incident, ending his race along with Herbst and Ty Dillon. Smith retired initially but returned later. The incident drew strong reactions from fans online, many of whom placed the blame squarely on the No. 23 driver.

Some comments on X did not hold back, pointing to what they felt was excessive aggression from Bubba Wallace in a tight corner.

“Bubba Wallace, what an F-ing joke,” a fan wrote.

Bubba Wallace, what an F-ing joke.

“Retard wrecks half the field bc he got passed,” another one commented.

Retard wrecks half the field bc he got passed.

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Others echoed the sentiments.

“Didn’t mean to?? He plowed him 4 times in 1 turn 🤣🤣,” someone wrote.

Didn’t mean to?? He plowed him 4 times in 1 turn 🤣🤣

“Bullsh*t, he hit him three times. What a disgrace,” another one chimed in.

Bullsh*t, he hit him three times. What a disgrace.

“Awww little man baby, trying to avoid a penalty. Nice try. Can’t wait to see what that penalty is,” a fan tweeted.

“Awww little man baby, trying to avoid a penalty. Nice try. Can’t wait to see what that penalty is.”

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Others questioned whether the move was avoidable, especially given the lack of space Carson Hocevar had on the outside. While the language varied, the overall sentiment remained consistent, as many viewed it as a preventable incident.


Bubba Wallace reacts after crash ends his race early: “I misjudged”

Bubba Wallace (23), Ross Chastain (1), and Carson Hocevar - Cook Out 400. Source: GettyBubba Wallace (23), Ross Chastain (1), and Carson Hocevar - Cook Out 400. Source: Getty
Bubba Wallace (23), Ross Chastain (1), and Carson Hocevar – Cook Out 400. Source: Getty

After being released from the infield care center, Bubba Wallace addressed the incident and accepted responsibility for the contact with Carson Hocevar. His explanation pointed to a misjudgment rather than intent, though the result had already reshaped the race.

“I misjudged. I didn’t appreciate the three-wide in (Turn) 1 fine, and then I misjudged the center of the corner. Didn’t mean to turn him… What a frustrating day, man,” he said.

Wallace also reflected on the expectations heading into Martinsville, a track he has often considered one of his better opportunities.

“So much expectation coming here, favorite track, Hardee’s on the car. Just wasn’t the day we wanted. We really really have to figure out what it is at this place. We can win Saturday in practice, just don’t show up on Sundays. I hate it for our team,” he added.

It marked another setback for Bubba Wallace in what has otherwise been a strong start to the season. The 23XI Racing No. 23 finished inside the top 11 in the first five races. However, a DNF at Darlington followed by this crash at Martinsville has now dropped him nine places in the standings.