Which QB takes the majority of snaps for the Vikings in the 2026 season?

Which signal caller is leading us to the NFC championship game?

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Gopher_In_NYC said:
Lewis wrote that we’ll be able to to tell everything about how the Vikings feel about JJ by the QB they bring in: the Geno Smith/Kirk level , is yes JJ is the guy, whereas a Murray/Carr level, is a duel and JJ is just another player trying to win a starting spot.
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That's pretty much what we've been expecting, and everything I've seen points to a QB who has healthy starting experience, but isn't exactly the long term answer; just someone to push JJM in camp.
Gopher_In_NYC said:
Whatever it is, they better make the right call, as the real JJ ain’t gonna be chill forever without an opportunity for a 💍.
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Tom P is more dialed into the Vikings than most and he says Jefferson is 100% in JJM's court, both publicly and behind the scenes. Jefferson is all-in on JJ McCarthy. That's good enough for me right now, along with how the staff obviously feels about him.

The good news is, there are like 5 people who could be cut who are owed big money and the Vikings would basically get for the minimum, like $1M or whatever; Tua, Murray, Geno, Justin Fields, and I'm forgetting the 5th one. No to the HELL NO on Fields and Geno.

Lastly, it sounds like Carson Wentz is coming back, but he's not that guy we're talking about. 3rd QB, emergency guy likely. Could have used someone like that last year instead of Brosmer, that's for sure.

I think it was Rappaport today that said if Wentz doesn't get hurt, the Vikings make the playoffs last year. I think there's little doubt about that.
 


I sometimes wonder if KOC was complicit to let the whole 2025 season burn down to have the power change.
 




A couple of reasons I don't like the Carr option, although it has nothing to do with his playing ability.

1. It would require draft capital to get him from the Saints
2. He won't get signed for the minimum, $1M or whatever; he'll cost a helluva lot more than that

 

Ogie Ogilthorpe said:
A couple of reasons I don't like the Carr option, although it has nothing to do with his playing ability.

1. It would require draft capital to get him from the Saints
2. He won't get signed for the minimum, $1M or whatever; he'll cost a helluva lot more than that

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Getting Carr would be worse than having Carson Wentz. Last time I saw Carr play against the Vikings he displayed no leadership nor any toughness to stand in the pocket to deliver the ball.
 

Per Lewis’ column today, these drew the options the Vikes are seriously considering -

Here is a detailed look at the most realistic QB options:

• Geno Smith: He is healthy, 35, and has thrown for at least 3,000 yards in each of the last four seasons. Smith doesn’t get a pass for his struggles in 2025, but the Raiders’ coaching and offensive-line issues factor prominently in the Vikings’ evaluation of his play. Minnesota believes he’d be easy for the locker room to get behind. This could come down to whether or not Las Vegas releases him. Smith will cost the Raiders at least $18.5 million in 2026, and if he remains on their roster on March 13, that number will increase by $8 million. A decision must come soon. Signing him for the minimum would thread the Vikings’ needle.

• Kyler Murray: He’s accurate, he can make off-script plays and the Vikings recognize his raw talent. Murray is in a similar position to Smith in that the Cardinals will be on the hook for $19.5 million more if Murray is on their roster on March 15. Release him, and he, too, could be available for the league minimum. Murray becoming a real alternative would spark further, in-depth internal discussions about locker-room fit and what his presence would mean for McCarthy.

• Derek Carr: Do the Vikings think a healthy Carr could throw for thousands of yards in their system? Yes. That’s no different than the two already mentioned. What is different is that Carr is retired. As of late last week, the Saints, who own Carr’s rights, had yet to field a call from the Vikings on Carr. Unlike Murray, he wouldn’t make off-script plays. And unlike Smith, he isn’t as aggressive a downfield passer. But given the uncertainty around the availability of Smith and Murray, we shouldn’t rule Carr out yet.

• Kirk Cousins: As polarizing as Cousins is among Vikings fans, the staff still has immense respect for him. It knows he can operate the offense. It also knows that, despite his quirks, the locker room respected his intensity and professionalism. Cousins’ availability comes down to what he’s willing to play for — and what ownership’s appetite is to return to him at quarterback. Cousins still loves Minnesota. He’s also not going to force an opportunity that doesn’t seem like the correct fit.

Joe Flacco: When Daniel Jones chose the Colts last spring, Flacco was very much in play for the Vikings. He’s 41 and has his imperfections, but with the Bengals, he threw for 13 touchdowns and four interceptions. This would be the absolute floor of Minnesota’s quarterback pursuit. Flacco would happily return to the Bengals, but this could be an intriguing opening.
 



Gopher_In_NYC said:
Per Lewis’ column today, these drew the options the Vikes are seriously considering -

Here is a detailed look at the most realistic QB options:

• Geno Smith: He is healthy, 35, and has thrown for at least 3,000 yards in each of the last four seasons. Smith doesn’t get a pass for his struggles in 2025, but the Raiders’ coaching and offensive-line issues factor prominently in the Vikings’ evaluation of his play. Minnesota believes he’d be easy for the locker room to get behind. This could come down to whether or not Las Vegas releases him. Smith will cost the Raiders at least $18.5 million in 2026, and if he remains on their roster on March 13, that number will increase by $8 million. A decision must come soon. Signing him for the minimum would thread the Vikings’ needle.

• Kyler Murray: He’s accurate, he can make off-script plays and the Vikings recognize his raw talent. Murray is in a similar position to Smith in that the Cardinals will be on the hook for $19.5 million more if Murray is on their roster on March 15. Release him, and he, too, could be available for the league minimum. Murray becoming a real alternative would spark further, in-depth internal discussions about locker-room fit and what his presence would mean for McCarthy.

• Derek Carr: Do the Vikings think a healthy Carr could throw for thousands of yards in their system? Yes. That’s no different than the two already mentioned. What is different is that Carr is retired. As of late last week, the Saints, who own Carr’s rights, had yet to field a call from the Vikings on Carr. Unlike Murray, he wouldn’t make off-script plays. And unlike Smith, he isn’t as aggressive a downfield passer. But given the uncertainty around the availability of Smith and Murray, we shouldn’t rule Carr out yet.

• Kirk Cousins: As polarizing as Cousins is among Vikings fans, the staff still has immense respect for him. It knows he can operate the offense. It also knows that, despite his quirks, the locker room respected his intensity and professionalism. Cousins’ availability comes down to what he’s willing to play for — and what ownership’s appetite is to return to him at quarterback. Cousins still loves Minnesota. He’s also not going to force an opportunity that doesn’t seem like the correct fit.

Joe Flacco: When Daniel Jones chose the Colts last spring, Flacco was very much in play for the Vikings. He’s 41 and has his imperfections, but with the Bengals, he threw for 13 touchdowns and four interceptions. This would be the absolute floor of Minnesota’s quarterback pursuit. Flacco would happily return to the Bengals, but this could be an intriguing opening.
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Geno means it's a legitimate competition in training camp. Murray means JJ days as a Viking are likely over, though they probably keep him as QB2 for 2026.
 

howeda7 said:
Geno means it's a legitimate competition in training camp. Murray means JJ days as a Viking are likely over, though they probably keep him as QB2 for 2026.
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Sounds about right right.

It’s like a Scandinavian Tele Novella.
 

Gopher_In_NYC said:
Per Lewis’ column today, these drew the options the Vikes are seriously considering -

Here is a detailed look at the most realistic QB options:

• Geno Smith: He is healthy, 35, and has thrown for at least 3,000 yards in each of the last four seasons. Smith doesn’t get a pass for his struggles in 2025, but the Raiders’ coaching and offensive-line issues factor prominently in the Vikings’ evaluation of his play. Minnesota believes he’d be easy for the locker room to get behind. This could come down to whether or not Las Vegas releases him. Smith will cost the Raiders at least $18.5 million in 2026, and if he remains on their roster on March 13, that number will increase by $8 million. A decision must come soon. Signing him for the minimum would thread the Vikings’ needle.

• Kyler Murray: He’s accurate, he can make off-script plays and the Vikings recognize his raw talent. Murray is in a similar position to Smith in that the Cardinals will be on the hook for $19.5 million more if Murray is on their roster on March 15. Release him, and he, too, could be available for the league minimum. Murray becoming a real alternative would spark further, in-depth internal discussions about locker-room fit and what his presence would mean for McCarthy.

• Derek Carr: Do the Vikings think a healthy Carr could throw for thousands of yards in their system? Yes. That’s no different than the two already mentioned. What is different is that Carr is retired. As of late last week, the Saints, who own Carr’s rights, had yet to field a call from the Vikings on Carr. Unlike Murray, he wouldn’t make off-script plays. And unlike Smith, he isn’t as aggressive a downfield passer. But given the uncertainty around the availability of Smith and Murray, we shouldn’t rule Carr out yet.

• Kirk Cousins: As polarizing as Cousins is among Vikings fans, the staff still has immense respect for him. It knows he can operate the offense. It also knows that, despite his quirks, the locker room respected his intensity and professionalism. Cousins’ availability comes down to what he’s willing to play for — and what ownership’s appetite is to return to him at quarterback. Cousins still loves Minnesota. He’s also not going to force an opportunity that doesn’t seem like the correct fit.

Joe Flacco: When Daniel Jones chose the Colts last spring, Flacco was very much in play for the Vikings. He’s 41 and has his imperfections, but with the Bengals, he threw for 13 touchdowns and four interceptions. This would be the absolute floor of Minnesota’s quarterback pursuit. Flacco would happily return to the Bengals, but this could be an intriguing opening.
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That list is depressing because it's probably pretty representative of what we're looking at for our QB in 2026. If he gets cut and we can sign him for the minimum, I have Murray far ahead of the other guys personally.

There continues to be a lot of rumors that the Vikings are actually ready to move on from JJM altogether. What draft pick do we think he could realistically return for us in a trade at this point? Third rounder?
 

Slim Tubby said:
That list is depressing because it's probably pretty representative of what we're looking at for our QB in 2026. If he gets cut and we can sign him for the minimum, I have Murray far ahead of the other guys personally.
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I knew you were smart 😎
Slim Tubby said:
There continues to be a lot of rumors that the Vikings are actually ready to move on from JJM altogether. What draft pick do we think he could realistically return for us in a trade at this point? Third rounder?
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Thst sounds like the right neighborhood,

He’s working with a QB guru this offseason on the footwork stuff, but he apparently has off the field challenges as well.

From Lewis’ article today -

Simply put, the team knows McCarthy must make a major leap forward on and off the field.

The Vikings also knew they were drafting a young player. What they did not envision, especially following an encouraging first training camp that preceded his torn meniscus, was the challenge posed by some of the more elemental aspects of being the face of a franchise. These growth hurdles have become widely known among NFL executives and coaches, and they were frequent topics in Indianapolis.
 
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Gopher_In_NYC said:
Then why don’t you enlighten us as to whom you think it will be? Selecting other is kind of a weak move🤷‍♂️
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Malik Willis is a viable candidate, but not amongst the options available in the Poll.
 

Gopher_In_NYC said:
I knew you were smart 😎

Thst sounds like the right neighborhood,

He’s working with a QB guru this offseason on the footwork stuff, but he apparently has off the field challenges as well.
Simply put, the team knows McCarthy must make a major leap forward on and off the field.

The Vikings also knew they were drafting a young player. What they did not envision, especially following an encouraging first training camp that preceded his torn meniscus, was the challenge posed by some of the more elemental aspects of being the face of a franchise. These growth hurdles have become widely known among NFL executives and coaches, and they were frequent topics in Indianapolis.
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I agree somewhat with Ogie that he can certainly still improve as a QB, but I didn't really like him much coming into the Draft and thought he was a 2nd or 3rd Round talent at best based on what we saw of him at Michigan.

I still can't believe we won as many games as we did last year with our atrocious QB play. Make the overpay for Burrow and be done with it. 😉
 

Ope3 said:
Malik Willis is a viable candidate, but not amongst the options available in the Poll.
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Ogie follows the Cardinals a lot more closely but a lot of the NFL talking heads think Willis is the #1 target for ARI. He looked surprisingly good this year for GB.
 

Ope3 said:
Malik Willis is a viable candidate, but not amongst the options available in the Poll.
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They don’t have the money to spend which he’ll command, according to Lewis’ reporting -

Malik Willis offers big-play potential. But he’s expected to net a more sizable contract.

Don’t expect a big-name free-agent splurge like last year. The Vikings are $40-plus million over the cap, and while that isn’t dire, it is significant.

Not sure how that is viable🤷‍♂️.

Additionally, my comment was a direct jab at the Deliberate Strangler, as he authoritatively told me in his post Murray wasn’t a good fit, which I responded to, and you quoted - if you tell my pich sux and you choose other, sack up and tell me who the other is - it’s called having manners and bslls in Douglas County - maybe they do it differently down south, Hoss🤠
 
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Slim Tubby said:
I agree somewhat with Ogie that he can certainly still improve as a QB, but I didn't really like him much coming into the Draft and thought he was a 2nd or 3rd Round talent at best based on what we saw of him at Michigan.

I still can't believe we won as many games as we did last year with our atrocious QB play. Make the overpay for Burrow and be done with it. 😉
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I agree a 1000% and it’s the same with the Wolves Giannis this summer- he might be Herschel, but if he isn’t!
 

Gopher_In_NYC said:
They don’t have the money to spend which he’ll command, according to Lewis’ reporting -

Malik Willis offers big-play potential. But he’s expected to net a more sizable contract.

Don’t expect a big-name free-agent splurge like last year. The Vikings are $40-plus million over the cap, and while that isn’t dire, it is significant.

Not sure how that is viable🤷‍♂️.
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Just show Willis the Wilf's NFLPA Report Card. That will sway him to Eagan in a heartbeat.
 
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Ope3 said:
Malik Willis is a viable candidate, but not amongst the options available in the Poll.
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Slim Tubby said:
Ogie follows the Cardinals a lot more closely but a lot of the NFL talking heads think Willis is the #1 target for ARI. He looked surprisingly good this year for GB.
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Malik sounds likely heading to Miami or Arizona, but I'm hoping not Arizona. I just don't think there's enough evidence to support any kind of long term deal for Willis; if he agrees to a short term deal, gamble on himself, MAYBE....

Some people are putting a lot of stock into the LaFleur connection; Matt coached Willis in GB obviously, and now the brother Mike LaFleur is at the helm in Arizona. Personally I'd rather see the Cardinals just tank in 2026, keep building what is already a pretty damn good roster, and take any one of the top 3-4 QBs at the top of the 2027 draft.

For the Vikings, Geno? Just no fucking way. People want to blame a lot of his struggles on the Raiders being kind of a mess offensively last year, and they were, but Geno just plain holds the fucking ball forever. He took 50 sacks in Seattle the year before he got to the Raiders, then 55 in 2025 in 2 fewer games. The Raiders OL wasn't great last year, but I watched that SOB hold the ball FOREVER on play after play after play.

Shit should start getting really interesting this week. Dominoes are already starting to fall
 

Gopher_In_NYC said:
They don’t have the money to spend which he’ll command, according to Lewis’ reporting -

Malik Willis offers big-play potential. But he’s expected to net a more sizable contract.

Don’t expect a big-name free-agent splurge like last year. The Vikings are $40-plus million over the cap, and while that isn’t dire, it is significant.

Not sure how that is viable🤷‍♂️.

Additionally, my comment was a direct jab at the Deliberate Strangler, as he authoritatively told me in his post Murray wasn’t a good fit, which I responded to, and you quoted - if you tell my pich sux and you choose other, sack up and tell me who the other is - it’s called having manners and bslls in Douglas County - maybe they do it differently down south, Hoss🤠
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Oh so now the cap is an issue?

I've been told 'ad-nauseam' that it's not.
 

Gopher_In_NYC said:
Then why don’t you enlighten us as to whom you think it will be? Selecting other is kind of a weak move🤷‍♂️
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KOC offense is about getting the ball out, rhythm and timing that's not Kyler, factor his off the field work habits, it's a problem if there are incentives in his contract to watch film, he is just simply too dumb and lazy to thrive in Minnesota. He's also injury prone like JJ McCarthy is. If I were a betting man I think it's Mac Jones, did the Kyle Shannahan, Brock Purdy backup thing like Sam Darnold, similar offense, makes the most sense, but also being a vikings it's probably going to be someone nobody sees coming and will probably all hate it lol
 

The Deliberate Stranger said:
KOC offense is about getting the ball out, rhythm and timing that's not Kyler, factor his off the field work habits, it's a problem if there are incentives in his contract to watch film, he is just simply too dumb and lazy to thrive in Minnesota. He's also injury prone like JJ McCarthy is. If I were a betting man I think it's Mac Jones, did the Kyle Shannahan, Brock Purdy backup thing like Sam Darnold, similar offense, makes the most sense, but also being a vikings it's probably going to be someone nobody sees coming and will probably all hate it lol
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I think Murray is by far the best option currently available. Yet, I also completely understand why a lot of people want nothing to do with him. I'm not even convinced the guy really likes football all that much.
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
Oh so now the cap is an issue?

I've been told 'ad-nauseam' that it's not.
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I think some folks forget that every other NFL team also has the ability to waive players and restructure current deals just like the Vikings do. The difference is our starting point is $40M over the Cap. We're still on track to have less available Cap space than at least 20+ other teams when all is said and done.

Personally, until we have a long-term solution at QB in place, it seems silly to compromise our Cap flexibility moving forward with big signings at other positions.
 


Slim Tubby said:
I think some folks forget that every other NFL team also has the ability to waive players and restructure current deals just like the Vikings do. The difference is our starting point is $40M over the Cap. We're still on track to have less available Cap space than at least 20+ other teams when all is said and done.

Personally, until we have a long-term solution at QB in place, it seems silly to compromise our Cap flexibility moving forward with big signings at other positions.
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This has been my point all along. The Vikings are starting in the 2nd to last position, and have a lot of work to do just to make it back to the middle of the pack. It doesn't bode well for them making this roster better than last year, especially relative to what other teams can do.
 

GopherWeatherGuy said:
It doesn't bode well for them making this roster better than last year, especially relative to what other teams can do.
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They went 9-8 last year, and really, the roster would be markedly better by the simple likelihood of having a healthy starting QB for most of the season. It's not exactly a roster with a litany of massive holes.

I don't think anyone expected the Vikings to be heavily involved in the FA market in the next several weeks. They'll fill some depth holes, make a decision about the QB room, and that's about it

They swung for the fences last year at this time with Fries, Kelly, Hargrave and J. Allen; moves most people, including myself, were very, very optimistic about. They swung for the fences, and they basically struck out. The chances of basically missing on all 4 of those would have been astronomically slim, but that's exactly what happened.
 


GopherWeatherGuy said:
Oh so now the cap is an issue?
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Because there is no tangible evidence that Willis going to be worth a premium contract he’s expected to garner - even Arnold understands that.. It’s called not being stupid in overpaying 🤦‍♂️

GopherWeatherGuy said:
I've been told 'ad-nauseam' that it's not.
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All you’re doing is twisting my words because you want to argue and try and upset me - you don’t have any power, I feel sorry for you, but that’s your choice in how you act.

Bye
 

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