The Minnesota Vikings may be ready to move on from JJ McCarthy. The 2024 first-round pick, who missed his rookie season due to injury, failed to impress last season.

Over the past few days, reports have surfaced that coach Kevin O’Connell and his staff could move on from McCarthy in 2026. During Monday’s episode of “The Dan Patrick Show,” NFL insider Jeremy Fowler said the team is looking for a veteran presence in the quarterback department and will explore their options in free agency.

“I know Minnesota is considering Kyler Murray,” Fowler said. “I would say he’s one of their bigger considerations along with Geno Smith. It’s probably a first-tier option for them. You know, maybe they’ll look at the Derek Carr situation. Tua is probably more of a backup, second-tier option for them.

“All these guys want to go to Minnesota. It’s a great environment, you’ve got Kevin O’Connell, you’ve got Justin Jefferson, you’ve got some things to work with. This is a hot team in the quarterback market right now. … I would be surprised if (McCarthy) gets cut. That’s a lot to do with It was a similar situation with Anthony Richardson last year. I think in a perfect world they would want to find someone to join… We’re all there. It’s kind of like when you get caught up, or someone starts seeing other people, when they do, it’s obvious that it’s probably over.”

Last season, JJ McCarthy missed 7 games due to injury. In 10 games, he threw for 1,632 yards and 11 touchdowns. The Vikings finished third in the NFC North with a 9-8 record and did not make the playoffs.

Also read: ‘Poor Justin Jefferson’ ‘JJ McCarthy will be traded’: NFL fans react as Vikings linked to 4-time Pro Bowl quarterback duo Carson Wentz for 2026 season

Also read: Vikings Free Agency Rumors: Kevin O’Connell Interested in $75,000,000 QB to Replace JJ McCarthy as QB1

Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell shares his thoughts on JJ McCarthy

Kevin O’Connell discussed JJ McCarthy in an interview with Paul Allen on Wednesday.

He also emphasized that he wants to create a competitive environment for the former first-round pick, hinting that they plan to add a quarterback this offseason.

“His journey has been 10 stars so far and we’ve been able to see a lot of stuff that we really, really like,” O’Connell said. “We saw some growth when we drafted him. We saw some development time as the year went on.

“But we’re still talking about a fair amount of missed opportunities in the development phase and the growth phase. We want them to be in a position to compete because some time has been lost. We really have to put our foot on the gas and not replace coaching and development and teaching with anything but augment it with a real competitive environment.”

who will vikings Will they bring in more quarterback space in 2026?