Let’s get to the point: The Minnesota Vikings clearly don’t want a repeat of what their QB did in the 2024 season wild-card game when it came to handling pressure. After sending Sam Darnold to the Seattle Seahawks, JJ McCarthy, in the current scenario, has locked down the QB1 spot. And why is that so? Even though Kevin O’Connell‘s franchise has Aaron Rodgers and other quarterbacks in their scope, the team wants the 10th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft to lead the franchise. But hold on a bit—this isn’t gonna be easy for JJ McCarthy, who missed his entire rookie year. And that’s why the recent update talks about the Vikings’ backup plan for JJ McCarthy.

But to understand what plans the NBC reporters discussed, we need to look at what the General Manager of the Minnesota Vikings said about JJ McCarthy and the future. While praising JJ, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah added a different angle to the story. The GM said, “He’s exceeded our expectations at every point. So I don’t have the ability to tell you what the future is, but I can tell you what I expect to be the outcome this off-season from the competition.” And the twist lies in the last statement he made here.

The Vikings are thinking about creating ‘competition.’ And to do that, they are going to take McCarthy through the tough process of overcoming roadblocks. That’s why NBC reporters also discussed the panel on March 26. See, as we mentioned at the start, the Vikings don’t want to repeat what happened in the playoffs. Getting sacked nine times as a quarterback? That’s not only horrible for that particular QB but also for the HC, OC, and GM. It’s clear that Sam Darnold was not able to handle the pressure of the knockout round on January 14 against Matthew Stafford’s Rams.

To avoid that kind of mess, the Vikings are going to add an element of competition for JJ McCarthy. Giving him a full guarantee of starting for the entire season won’t work; he could get complacent or lose that fierce, Michael Jordan-like mindset. So, will they add more QBs who can give JJ some strong competition? Well, at this point, the strategy looks like this. They might add an Aaron Rodgers-like QB—someone who’s a veteran, interested in the franchise, and, most importantly, was 8th in passing yards and 7th in TDs last season.

JJ missed the whole season due to an injury that happened during the preseason. So, directly giving him a massive responsibility right from the start of the season could be harmful since every loss and win counts. That competitive element would push JJ to earn the QB1 spot. But while the possibility of A-Rod joining the team is still there, the Vikings GM, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, has shared thoughts on the 41-year-old QB as well. Let’s check that out quickly.

What does the GM think about Aaron Rodgers’ potential Vikings entry?

A reporter asked the Vikings GM exactly the same question we all have on our minds. When an NFL reporter asked, “Would Rodgers be seen as competition to JJ or just a veteran backup?” Kwesi Adofo-Mensah replied, “You want to solve for a lot of things.” Aaron Rodgers is 41 years old. But age isn’t the only problem. Many NFL owners and GMs think twice because Aaron Rodgers follows a unique practice routine and tends to dominate media headlines and his teammates.

JJ McCarthy’s GM also added, “You want competition, you want the ability to play if they’re not the starter, all those different things, you’re just trying to solve for a lot of different dynamics,” while saying, “I’m not going to say that specific to Aaron, just generally what you’re trying to accomplish in the decision.” And that’s exactly what we just talked about. If the Vikings are hiring Aaron Rodgers, it will mostly be to add competition for JJ.

Let’s see whether Kwesi Adofo-Mensah ultimately decides to bring in A-Rod as JJ McCarthy’s backup. Or let’s see, they even take a bold swing by drafting a highly-touted rookie quarterback with raw talent and untapped potential to truly shake things up and ignite fierce competition within the team’s quarterback room!