Vikings GM Clears Stance on JJ McCarthy Leading the QB Room & Opens Up About ‘Ending’ Things With Aaron Rodgers

The Vikings are in a place where they shouldn’t be. A dilemma for the starting quarterback! Sam Darnold has left them (after they left him). Daniel Jones signed up with the Colts. The talks with Aaron Rodgers aren’t going anywhere (mostly because they don’t them to). There’s only one person left. A rookie (for all practical purposes) signal caller, JJ McCarthy! It’s a surprise they are still at a crossroads, given how competitive their division is. Even with a 14-3 record, they couldn’t get the top seed in NFC North as the Lions won 15 games. So it’s high time they sort out their departments, especially at QB.

The Vikings GM, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, talked to the media at the TCO Performance Center on March 26. He gave a sneak peek into the QB1 for the team and said, “At every checkpoint, whether it’s been the draft process or practice until the injury and really the offseason now, he’s met the bar. I mean, he’s exceeded our expectations at every point. And 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.”

The verdict is obvious. JJ McCarthy is their best bet. While he injured his right meniscus last year and became the first QB drafted in the first round to miss the entire rookie season, the comeback is imminent. He looked lighter near the end of the regular season. But things changed when the QB gave an interview to Kay Adams. He looked strong. And even NFL analyst Tom Pelissero revealed that the signal caller weighed 209 pounds. There is a wave of positivity among the fans.

The Vikings GM wants McCarthy to play for them as the starter. But he also wants to create a QB room where they can keep a reliable playoff-worthy backup as well. At present, the only other QB is Brett Rypien, who has played only 10 games (4 started) in 6 years. So, there is a high chance they could bring in someone else. But the starting position is JJ McCarthy’s to lose.

He also spiced up things by claiming he wasn’t told that he was the starter. That’s perhaps not required anymore. Recent developments have already cleared the way.

JJ McCarthy was safeguarded from competing with Aaron Rodgers

In February, the Vikings‘ quarterback praised the veteran Super Bowl winner. He shared a video of A-Rod from The Joe Rogan Experience and called him “The GOAT Human.” Things weren’t clear on Rodgers’ future then. But a few days later, the Jets released him. Soon, the Vikes QB found himself in a rough spot. He was being touted to compete with his idol.

A fun fact: The Packers chose Rodgers in the first-round (24th overall) in the 2005 draft. Guess how old JJ McCarthy was then? Just a 2-year kid. This off-season, the Vikes showed interest in the veteran. But the Vikings GM cleared the air about their negotiations, which have ended. While discussing the scenario, he added, “I think we got to a place where we just said everybody was transparent, but right now we feel good about where we’re going and that’s really how it ended.” Rodgers was said to be extremely interested in the opportunity, enhanced by his good relationship with HC Kevin O’Connell. But Minnesota is determined that McCarthy will be their QB1 for 2025.

The 41-year-old is still waiting to choose his team, with the Steelers supposedly the only contender at present. Drop your 2025 predictions for the two QBs at the opposite ends of their careers in the comments below!