The Minnesota Vikings released Aaron Rodgers a few weeks ago. Vikings owner Mark Wilf, head coach Kevin O’Connell, and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah all confessed they had contemplated bringing the 41-year-old in as a backup to J.J. McCarthy. However, they ultimately chose to give McCarthy reps throughout minicamp and OTAs to evaluate if he is ready to be the team’s starter.
McCarthy will not be in minicamp for several weeks, but Rodgers’ bad cloud remains over the franchise. While McCarthy is the starter, the Vikings are still looking for a backup quarterback after losing Joe Flacco and Drew Lock on Friday. With choices narrowing, Rodgers’ storm drawing closer.
When should Vikings supporters begin to worry about the backup QB situation?
It’s reasonable for any fanbase to be concerned about the backup quarterback. Aside from the starter, the backup quarterback is the team’s second most popular player. It is rare for a backup to step in and help a team perform without losing a beat. Still, their responsibility is to perform adequately when the squad requires a replacement.
But this is the Vikings, and the backup quarterback is under a brighter spotlight than the sun. Minnesota’s history is replete with backups who became heroes, including Randall Cunningham in 1998 and Case Keenum in 2017. Gus Frerotte made an appearance as a potential season-saver, taking over for Tarvaris Jackson and led them to the playoffs in 2008.
As much as we want the backup quarterback to be irrelevant, it’s an intriguing position, especially given the Vikings’ untested starter.
McCarthy is likely to “win” the starting job this offseason, but he carries some risk. McCarthy, who was called a raw talent out of Michigan by some draft pundits, has not thrown a pass in a live-action football game since August. It was also a preseason game featuring vanilla defenses and third- and fourth-string players who are unlikely to make the final roster.
When you consider that McCarthy did not begin football practices until January, you can understand why the coaching staff and fans are concerned as backup alternatives sign with other clubs.
Some fans fantasized about a reunion with Sam Darnold, but that dream was dashed when the Seattle Seahawks traded their leading quarterback and offered him a lucrative contract. Daniel Jones was Plan B. However, he elected to pursue the opportunity to start, along with $14 million from the Indianapolis Colts.
The dominoes continued to fall, but none of them included the Vikings. Gardner Minshew has signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. Jacoby Brissett has signed with the Arizona Cardinals. Trey Lance’s long-rumored connection to the Vikings ultimately brought him to the Los Angeles Chargers. Prior to the Vikings’ departure, Jameis Winston, Mac Jones, and Cooper Rush had all found new homes.
The only rumors about the Vikings quarterback position come from two sources: a continual stream of speculation that Rodgers may be waiting for Minnesota, and one from FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz, who claims the team has met with former Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
So, if they aren’t interested in Rodgers, why aren’t they signing Tannehill? A major reason is the NFL’s free-agent compensation formula. Nobody knows exactly how this algorithm works, but Tyler Forness of A to Z Sports provided a basic explanation here. However, compensation picks are determined by the players a team loses in free agency and the ones they add who have an expired deal worth between $3.5 and $4 million.
Over According to the Cap’s compensatory projection tracker, Minnesota will receive a third-round pick in exchange for Darnold’s departure and a fifth-round pick for Cam Robinson, who has signed with the Houston Texans. They may lose their selections if the Vikings sign a player who was counted against the formula. That’s significant because Minnesota has five picks remaining in the 2026 draft, but their original pick is in the first three rounds.
It’s also possible that the Vikings are merely waiting for someone to accept their offer. If a prospective quarterback is aware that McCarthy will start, he or she may choose to sit out OTAs and minicamp before signing later this summer. Rodgers is presently in that process, having received an offer from the Pittsburgh Steelers, while Tannehill may be waiting before getting off the couch to join the Vikings in 2025.
Some supporters may be concerned that Rodgers is somewhere placing needles into McCarthy’s voodoo doll to pave his route to Minnesota. Alternatively, Tannehill’s words about Malik Willis in 2022 remain unchanged. In any case, the Vikings’ backup quarterback situation will be resolved, and it is unlikely to include the worst-case scenario of bringing Rodgers to Minnesota.
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