There’s a New QB Option for the Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings need a new quarterback, at least if Sam Darnold indeed departs in free agency. The club did not use the franchise tag on their 2024 QB1, and if a contract extension isn’t reached by Monday, he will be eligible to sign with other teams.

There’s a New QB Option for the Vikings

Fortunately, Minnesota already has a successor in place. J.J. McCarthy was drafted with the 10th overall pick a year ago. He missed his entire rookie season because of a season-ending knee surgery performed in August, but all reports suggest that he will be good to go by the time the players return for OTAs in May.

Still, after losing Kirk Cousins in 2023 and McCarthy in 2024, the guys in charge will surely put an emphasis on the backup quarterback position and pair McCarthy with a capable passer.

Daniel Jones has often been named after spending some time with the Vikings last season; others think Jimmy Garappolo makes sense in the QB2 role. Jacoby Brissett and Joe Flacco will also be available in free agency.

On Wednesday, news surfaced about a new candidate.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that the Las Vegas Raiders intend to part ways with signal-caller Gardner Minshew: “The Raiders informed QB Gardner Minshew they’ll release him when the new league year begins next Wednesday, per sources. Minshew has 46 career starts and is still only 28 years old. An experienced option available.”

The Raiders haven’t been able to fix their QB problems in years. Derek Carr was released after the 2022 season, and paying Garappolo in 2023 and Minshew in 2024 while pairing them with 2023 late-rounder Aidan O’Connell didn’t work.

Last season, Minshew appeared in ten games, throwing for nine touchdowns and ten interceptions until a broken collarbone ended his season. Throughout his NFL career, Minshew has started 46 games. He has tabulated 68 passing touchdowns and 34 picks with almost 12,000 passing yards.

He came into the league as a Jaguars sixth-rounder in 2019, and his mustache and other items of his personality quickly earned the Jockstrap King the status of a folk hero. Statistically, he had his best two seasons in 2019 and 2020 with the horrendous Jaguars when he produced 37 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions in 23 games (20 starts).

The veteran passer isn’t the most talented player on the market, but he brings experience to the table and is the prototypical backup quarterback who can win a game or two if relied upon but likely isn’t getting it done for an entire season.

At this point, the Vikings only employ McCarthy and last year’s QB3 Brett Rypien. Nick Mullens, Jones, and Darnold are set to become free agents.

Minshew would be a fun QB2 option for the Vikings.

Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Focus and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.

Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt