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The Minnesota Vikings may pass on JJ McCarthy this offseason in favor of a quarterback who has been selected to the Pro Bowl multiple times.
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ESPN’s Seth Walder predicts the Vikings will sign Kirk Cousins in free agency after he was waived by the Atlanta Falcons at the start of the new season.
“McCarthy’s performance last season doesn’t suggest he can pull it off. Considering how Minnesota let its known Darnold players walk out the door in favor of McCarthy, I doubt coach Kevin O’Connell will want to return to known, consistent production. Cousins represents that,” Wold wrote.
In 2025, Cousins’ starting position was taken away by Michael Penix Jr., but the 37-year-old Cousins did start 8 games in place of Penix due to injury and achieved a record of 5 wins and 3 losses, with 10 touchdowns and 5 interceptions.
The Vikings will be looking for veteran competition for McCarthy, and Cousins would be the perfect fit. The four-time Pro Bowler started 88 games for Minnesota from 2018 to 2023 and had the best years of his career.
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Additionally, Cousins should be cheap to sign on the open market. Minnesota’s salary cap is projected at $43 million, so they can’t completely break the bank on a quarterback.
Although Cousins is no longer a high-level starting signal-caller, he can still be a difference-maker and serve as the Vikings’ starting quarterback in 2026 if McCarthy doesn’t show improvement.