Ranking the top 10 Minnesota Vikings potential additions to battle J.J. McCarthy from Aaron Rodgers to Anthony Richardson

The Minnesota Vikings have a bevy of quarterback options, so we ranked all 10.

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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Dec 7, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell during the first half at U.S. Bank Stadium.
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The Minnesota Vikings are going to be adding a new quarterback to the room to pair with J.J. McCarthy. Head coach Kevin O’Connell was honest about wanting to add competition to the room. What we don’t know is how serious the Vikings are going to be with their addition.

There are three different directions the Vikings can go.

  1. Full-time starter
  2. Legitimate competition
  3. Capable backup if McCarthy gets hurt

Who are the best options at quarterback for the Vikings? All of them offer something a little bit different and fit into a different category. The big thing here is that the Vikings seem to want McCarthy to work out eventually. These rankings will incorporate all of the following criteria:

  • Cost
  • Talent
  • Upside
  • Fit with Kevin O’Connell
  • How they will co-exist with J.J. McCarthy

These are the top quarterback options for the Vikings going into free agency.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback options

10. Marcus Mariota

If you want a stalwart veteran quarterback who isn’t going to threaten McCarthy for the job but still be a solid enough player when called upon, Mariota is your guy. The former second overall pick out of Oregon, he got replaced in Tennessee by Ryan Tannehill and has bounced around the league. He spent the last two seasons backing up Jayden Daniels. He was capable enough to keep the offense afloat and on schedule, which is exactly what the Vikings need.

9. Aaron Rodgers

I am 100% out on Rodgers coming to the Vikings. Not only is he heading into his age 42 season, but he had his worst season as a starting quarterback last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He struggled to drive the ball down the field and had the lowest yards/attempt of his career as a starting quarterback, and he won’t be able to operate O’Connell’s offense the way he wants to. This would be a desperate attempt at trying to reignite the past, and the Vikings should stay away from making this move.

8. Mac Jones

People want to claim that Mac Jones is going to be the next Sam Darnold because, like the Super Bowl champion, Jones spent a season at the Kyle Shanahan rehab factory. There is a big difference: Jones doesn’t have the arm talent to be that guy.

Sure, Jones operated Shanahan’s offense with efficiency, but that’s part of the problem. Jones just operated it decently well, but didn’t elevate anyone. Pair that with average arm talent and the fact that he will cost a day two pick, and Jones doesn’t make a ton of sense.

7. Tua Tagovailoa

Tua Tagovailoa is the first of a few quarterbacks on this list who could come to the Vikings for the veteran minimum due to offset language in his Dolphins contract. Even with that, it would be a risky move to add him. Tagovailoa doesn’t have either a strong arm or durability. He’s suffered numerous concussions since entering the NFL, and that’s not a risk the Vikings can afford, with McCarthy also showing himself to be prone to injuries.

6. Kyler Murray

Like Tagovailoa, Kyler Murray is the second quarterback who could come to the Vikings on a veteran minimum contract, while still getting paid his full salary from the Arizona Cardinals.

Murray is a fascinating talent. He has a live arm and is incredibly mobile, but there are two reasons why he is likely to be available: injuries and he’s 5-10. Murray has been consistently hurt over his career, and it’s been a major hindrance to his success. Even when he’s healthy, he doesn’t fit what O’Connell wants to do, as Murray doesn’t want to throw over the middle, nor can he see well over offensive linemen. If O’Connell chooses to shift to a more Air Raid-style approach, it could work. However, that’s not the best route to take, especially if they still believe McCarthy is the future.

5. Derek Carr

The wild card in this entire discussion is Derek Carr. He ended up retiring after the 2024 season due to multiple injuries, but the Saints still hold his rights. If he truly is healthy, the Vikings could acquire him for a day-three pick.

Carr isn’t a perfect quarterback. He certainly has his own issues. After Carr gets hit a couple of times, he gets timid in the pocket and turtles in a similar way to how Kirk Cousins used to. Even so, Carr will operate the offense at a high level.

4. Malik Willis

If this were just a list of quarterbacks that I believed in, Willis would rank first on the list. Despite starting just three games in the last two years, Willis has shown a significant amount of growth. Not only does he still have the immense arm talent,but Willis developed a lot when it came to processing the field.

Those three starts looked like he was a starting quarterback in the NFL. Where the Vikings fall short here is that Willis is likely to get $20-30 million per season. That’s going to be too much for a player to pair with McCarthy. Now, if they wanted to commit to him being the franchise quarterback, it would be an interesting move, but one that would make sense given what Willis can bring to the offense.

3. Kirk Cousins

It’s not the sexiest option in the world, but Kirk Cousins would bring a sense of stability to the offense. Not only did Cousins spend six seasons with the Vikings, but he played for two seasons under O’Connell. Cousins played his best when O’Connell was running the offense, and it would make sense for him to come back to the Vikings.

Cousins would likely come here for the veteran minimum due to the $10 million the Atlanta Falcons have guaranteed him. The only downside contractually would be if another team decides to offer him more than $1o million per season. There is also the perception factor, as the Vikings moved on from Cousins just two years ago. That might not be a path they want to move down.

2. Geno Smith

Having Cousins as high as second would make sense for most people, but there is one problem that doesn’t get discussed enough with this conversation: he’s not that good anymore. There has been a drop-off in his game. You could argue the same thing about Geno Smith with his one season as the Las Vegas Raiders starting quarterback.

There is one thing that’s intriguing about Smith: he was good with the Seattle Seahawks two years ago, and there is a real argument that last season wasn’t on the back of Smith. There were so many issues on Carroll’s team, including players going to general manager John Spytek to watch film. Smith is likely to be released by the Raiders, as they are primed to select Fernando Mendoza first overall.

Smith will drive the ball over the middle of the field, and still has a live enough arm to threaten all three levels.

1. Anthony Richardson

This is a rather controversial option, let alone being first. Anthony Richardson was selected fourth overall in the 2023 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts, who are likely to trade him this offseason. The Vikings were active in trying to acquire Richardson, offering the Cardinals three first-round picks and more on draft day.

The reason why Richardson ranks highly on this list isn’t just because the Vikings loved him coming out, but also because he represents two things:

  • Incredible upside
  • Makes McCarthy earn everything

If he ends up coming to Minnesota, it increases the Vikings’ chances for a franchise quarterback, as he’s had similar issues to what McCarthy’s had: injuries, inconsistent accuracy, and slow processing. Having two players like that would be both frustrating and intriguing. It also wouldn’t give the Vikings the consistent backup they have been searching for, which creates it’s own issue.

All that said, Richardson has seemed destined to be a Vikings quarterback, and it could happen for a day three NFL Draft pick. Seeing a training camp battle between Richardson and McCarthy could be exactly what they need to maximize this season and beyond.

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