Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell wants a deeper quarterback room in 2026.
The Vikings started three QBs in 2025 in the wake of second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy playing just 10 games coming off a lost rookie campaign. Carson Wentz made five starts and Max Brosmer started twice for the 9-8 Vikings.
"Ultimately, I think in the quarterback room, it's about having just the deepest, [most] talented room you possibly can, every single year," O'Connell told reporters on Tuesday. "What that looks like at a pretty impactful position on your salary cap, when you're able to possibly plan for your depth chart looking in a way where you can be competitive no matter what."
McCarthy entered the season with massive questions after suffering a preseason knee injury in 2024 that caused him to miss the entire season. It was a roller-coaster for the Michigan product, who flashed at times late in games but was inconsistent, missing passes badly for long stretches. Injuries also plagued the QB, who missed time with ankle, hand and concussion issues.
"I think there has to be (competition at quarterback)," O'Connell said. "I think that's what's gonna make everybody better in that room. It's gonna be what makes our entire offense thrive through that competition."
O'Connell added that he "absolutely" wants a competitive QB situation during offseason workouts, but declined to say at this time what that might look like -- equally split reps, McCarthy getting the bulk of the work, etc.
Despite the need for competition this offseason, KOC liked what he saw from McCarthy down the stretch and believes a deeper QB room would only "enhance" his development.
"J.J., I was really encouraged by the type of football he started to play towards the second half of the season and finishing the way he did," O'Connell said. "We spend a lot of time talking about what the layers of change really were, and I think we all just tried to have a mindset on completions and however we could generate them, we started to see a little bit of that show up. We saw some explosives show up. We saw the ability to kind of balance that with what I thought at many points this year, our run game was productive enough for us to move the football and stay in a lot of games."
There is little question that the Vikings need a reliable veteran to buffer McCarthy. There was discussion about bringing back Sam Darnold last offseason, but he found a home and a bigger deal in Seattle. Minnesota also attempted to retain Daniel Jones, who opted for Indianapolis. When a trade for Sam Howell went sideways, it left the Vikes with Wentz and Brosmer.
The veteran free-agent market will be dotted with the likes of Marcus Mariota, Russell Wilson, Jimmy Garoppolo and Kenny Pickett. One potential name to watch: Kirk Cousins, the former Vikings QB who reworked his deal in Atlanta, making him a likely free agent this offseason.
