Minnesota Vikings VP Offers Damning Comments That Suggest JJ McCarthy Is Done

This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.

Minnesota Vikings executive vice president of football operations and interim GM Rob Brzezinski put quarterback JJ McCarthy on notice with some damning comments at the NFL Combine.

Even though Sam Darnold led Minnesota to a 14-3 record in 2024, the Vikings made the head-scratching call to let him leave in free agency. Darnold went on to sign a three-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks, helping them to a Super Bowl 60 championship.

JJ McCarthy struggled mightily with consistency and staying healthy. He missed seven games and threw 11 touchdowns against 12 interceptions for a lackluster passer rating of 72.6.

Speaking to reporters at the NFL Combine, Brzezinski hardly gave McCarthy a ringing endorsement, per Erich Richter of the New York Post:

“What we do know is we need a level of baseline quarterback play for us to be effective. A lot of this has been J.J. in unfortunate (situations) with some of the injuries and things that he’s dealt with, but we’re going to explore every opportunity, and I don’t think there’s anything specifically we’re looking for. We can’t manufacture anything that’s not there. So, No. 1, what are the options? Is it reciprocal? Is it financially doable? All those things. There’s just a lot of factors that go into it…I don’t think we’re ruling anything out.”

It has been widely reported that the Vikings will target old friend Kirk Cousins in free agency. Earlier this week, the Atlanta Falcons announced that they would release the four-time Pro Bowler from his contract.

Last month, another report indicated that the Vikings were close to trading JJ McCarthy to the Las Vegas Raiders last year. In hindsight, the teams should have made that deal, seeing how much Geno Smith faltered in Sin City.

Vikings Shouldn’t Give Up On JJ McCarthy Just Yet

The Vikings will undoubtedly bring in a proven veteran to compete with McCarthy for the starting job. But by no means should Minnesota look to trade or cut McCarthy altogether.

Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield and Daniel Jones are prime examples of what can happen if you give up on a talented QB too early. Look at where the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns are now after quitting on Darnold and Mayfield, respectively.

McCarthy was essentially a rookie last year, having missed his entire 2024 campaign with a knee injury. It’s unfair to label him as a bust this early in his career, so the Vikings are better off challenging him with QB competition.