During the 2025 season, injuries at quarterback forced the Minnesota Vikings to start undrafted rookie Max Brosmer in two games.
All four games were offensive disasters.
In two of the past three seasons, injuries forced the Vikings to play a rookie quarterback that wasn’t remotely close to being ready for an NFL regular season game. Jaren Hall is already out of the league. Since two of the past three seasons were derailed by quarterback injuries, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Vikings would put together a quarterback room strong enough and deep enough to handle another season of injuries. Somehow, many fans and all of the media appear to be surprised. At the start of free agency, Kyler Murray was signed and Carson Wentz was re-signed giving the Vikings the following quarterback room.
J.J. McCarthy
Kyler Murray
Carson Wentz
Max Brosmer
The quarterback dent to the Vikings salary cap is less than $13 million. Many teams are giving four times that amount to one quarterback. The key to the Vikings itty-bitty quarterback bill is the ridiculous opportunity to sign Kyler Murray for the league minimum of $1.3 million. The Arizona Cardinals are paying their former quarterback nearly $40 million to play for the Vikings. Thank you very much Mr. Bidwill. Since the end of the season, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has stressed the need to strengthen the team’s quarterbacks. It didn’t even take a day for new general manager Nolan Teasley to agree with O’Connell. Teasley mentioned the importance of the strong quarterback group in his introductory press conference. Murray at a bargain-basement rate made it possible for the Vikings to roster three capable NFL starters. And yes, J.J. McCarthy is a capable NFL starter. His 6-4 record in an injury-wrecked first season as a starter is proof of that. Hopefully, one quarterback gets the bulk of snaps this season. Continuity at the all-important position is always the best path for team success. If there is a repeat of the ridiculous quarterback injuries of 2023 and 2025, the 2026 Vikings will be better equipped to handle it. I’m not sure why so many are puzzled by the team’s quality quarterback room.
The typical quarterback room in today’s NFL looks a bit like this:
Starter
Veteran backup
Young project
If a team deviates from the above, it appears many fans and most of the media flip out. They can’t seem to handle a team doing something different. J.J. McCarthy and Kyle Murray are competing to be the Vikings starter. Many consider this “competition” a sham. They believe it’s Murray’s job already. Whatever. It doesn’t really matter right now. One of the two is going to be the starter. Based on his recent employment history, Carson Wentz is content walking the sideline until he’s needed. What difference does it make whether that’s as #2 or #3? Many assume that whoever loses the Vikings quarterback competition will be traded. Since everyone assumes that Murray has already won, they expect that McCarthy will be traded before the start of the season. On Skol North’s Purple Daily podcast, Phil Mackey puts the chances of a McCarthy trade at a whopping 90%. Less bold, Darren Woolfson has it at better than 50%. I get it. As a competitor, McCarthy won’t like having to sit for a season. Especially after having an injury erased his 2024 rookie season. Supposedly, it’s better to trade the loser of a position battle. Weakening a position is an interesting strategy. If McCarthy doesn’t want to sit, outplay Murray. It’s in his hands. If he were to be traded, he’d probably have to sit out the 2026 season with his new team. If he has to sit somewhere, it’s probably best to sit with the team that selected him at #10 in the 2024 NFL Draft. McCarthy is much better off doing all that he can to keep the Vikings starting job. If Murray wins, McCarthy is much better off doing all that he can to be ready when he’s needed. In four of his seven years in the league, Murray has missed time to injuries. I believe that any of the Vikings three quarterbacks can lead the team to the playoffs. And Max Brosmer won one of the two games that he started.
In two of the past three seasons, the Vikings have needed at least three quarterbacks.
Kyler Murray
J.J. McCarthy
Carson Wentz
If history were to repeat itself, the Vikings will be much better equipped to handle quarterback injuries. Kevin O’Connell has stressed the importance of a strong group. Nolan Teasley agreed. In my opinion, it would be stupid if the Vikings weakened a position that they intentionally strengthened.
No comments:
Post a Comment