Vikings can fix their biggest personnel problem after Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s firing by sticking it to an NFC North rival

The Vikings’ questions at quarterback haven’t gone away, and their options to solve those issues all have their own validity.

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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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.
Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

One of the biggest decisions an NFL team needs to make in the offseason is what the Minnesota Vikings will do at quarterback. This wasn’t supposed to be how things went, but it’s not like we haven’t been here before.

After choosing to move on from Kirk Cousins, the Vikings signed Sam Darnold and selected J.J. McCarthy in the first round just six weeks later. After Darnold had a 14-3 season, the Vikings moved on from both Darnold and Daniel Jones, and the outcome of that process was a major reason the Vikings fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.

Kevin O’Connell has a massive decision to make at quarterback

The biggest thing we can take away from the past week is that head coach Kevin O’Connell has a lot of power. Will he want to stick with McCarthy? There is a major question surrounding how serious they will be with him, as O’Connell emphasized the need for competition in his season-ending press conference.

“I absolutely want a competitive situation,” said O’Connell. “Obviously, J.J. [McCarthy] is going to be a major, major emphasis for our staff and our team and me personally, and we’ll figure out what that looks like as we navigate the early part of this offseason when it comes to managing the roster.

“I think ultimately, we’ve got to decide how to not only continue J.J.’s progression, allow him to continue to ascend as a young player, 22-year-old with 10 starts, but at the same time, as I said, I think the competition in that room will only enhance our entire team.”

Bringing in competition will mean different things to different people. The level of competition will tell us about what the Vikings really think about McCarthy. Let’s take a look at some of the

Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa

$40 million cap hit on acquisition
Cost: third-round pick or less, likely a Day 3 pick swap

The Dolphins have already made it clear they will be moving on from Tagovailoa. He had major highs with the Dolphins, but the consistent injuries, especially concussions, are the biggest reason they are moving on.

The Vikings would have to find a way to make it work with the salary cap, but Tagovailoa may be willing to take a discounted deal to have a chance to start again.

Likelihood: 1/10

Arizona Cardinals’ Kyler Murray

$42.54 million cap hit on acquisition
Cost: Day 2 pick, possibly a first-rounder

Murray’s future is fascinating. The only people in the organization still associated with selecting Murray at No. 1 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft are ownership.

New head coach Mike LaFleur and general manager Monti Ossenfort could easily choose to move on due to his injury issues. He’s got a big arm and plus mobility, but he is a smaller player, and that can be a liability when throwing across the middle of the field.

Likelihood: 4/10

Indianapolis Colts’ Anthony Richardson

$6.6 million cap hit on acquisition
Cost: 97th overall

This is the biggest one for the Vikings. O’Connell has shown his love for Richardson multiple times, including trying to trade up for him in the 2023 NFL Draft. He’s far and away the biggest upside player the Vikings can acquire, but there is just one problem: right now, Richardson isn’t good.

Now, there is a path forward. He has every tool imaginable to be great, but Richardson’s lack of experience is evident on nearly every snap. The idea here is that Richardson can take a leap to be the next Josh Allen, but there is a long way to go before that happens.

Is O’Connell the right guy for that to happen? McCarthy is somewhat similar to Richardson, and things haven’t gone well there. Still, it’s a great way to shoot for the moon.

Likelihood: 7/10

San Francisco 49ers’ Mac Jones

$2.34 million cap hit on acquisition
Cost: 2nd round pick

Jones is a very popular option among Vikings’ fans to come in as a player to compete with McCarthy. As is the situation with Willis signing here, Jones is likely cost prohibitive, but in a different way. With Willis, you need to pay him a lot of money, especially when it comes to fully guaranteed money. In the case of Jones, it could cost the Vikings the 49th overall pick.

Jones had to step in and start for the 49ers this year due to Brock Purdy’s toe injury, and he kept the ship afloat, going 5-3 as a starter with 2,151 passings yards, 13 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Is that a price worth paying to have a quarterback you aren’t even guaranteed to start? That’s a major question they will have to answer, and the 49ers may not even be willing to trade him because of his cost.

Likelihood: 5/10

Green Bay Packers’ Malik Willis

$10 million cap hit on acquisition (projected)
Cost: 3 years, $90 million

Willis is going to be the crown jewel of this quarterback free agency class. A third round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans, it was evident that the coaching staff didn’t like him despite being the selection. They traded him two years later to the Packers for a seventh round pick. He thrived under Matt LaFleur, showing significant growth and helping the Packers make the playoffs by winning starts while Jordan Love was injured.

The big issue for the Vikings is they will have multiple competitors for Willis. That could end up spiking Willis’ price up to a point where the Vikings might not be able to compete. If you pay Willis that much, it’s not going to be to compete with McCarthy, but rather replace him. Even so, Willis has a lot of tools to work with, and could maximize the offense.

Likelihood: 2/10

Las Vegas Raiders’ Geno Smith

$26.5 million cap hit on acquisition
Cost: 5th round pick

The Raiders are almost certainly going to select Fernando Mendoza at first overall, which means they are likely going to move on from Smith. Now, they could keep him on the roster, but it’s an expensive contract for someone who is going to be replaced quickly.

Smith isn’t an elite player, but he’s more than capable enough to operate an offense, which is all the Vikings needed this year to win 12-13 games. It would be a big cap hit for this season, but they can get out of his contract for no money after the year, and Smith may even be willing to take a discounted rate so he can be a starting quarterback one more time.

Likelihood: 4/10

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