Vikings' J.J. McCarthy is not expected to suit up against the Seahawks in Week 13 after entering concussion protocol following the loss in Green Bay, which likely hands the reins to Max Brosmer for his first NFL start.
With the Vikings sitting at 4-7 and basically out of the NFC playoff race, the rest of this season is starting to look less like a push for January and more like an evaluation period. The big question hanging over everything is what Minnesota does at quarterback in 2026 if McCarthy’s rocky development continues, and that is exactly where a new ESPN report comes in.
According to ESPN, people around the league already expect the Vikings’ current mess to spill into next year’s plans. Unless Brosmer unexpectedly pops, Minnesota might have no real alternative but to keep riding with McCarthy for the rest of 2025, then copy what the Colts did: bring in a veteran reclamation project to compete with the young starter.
The ironic twist is that Daniel Jones himself is described as a “perfect fit” for that role in Minnesota after backing up Sam Darnold there last season, but as the top free agent quarterback on the market, he is more likely to command a big-money deal in Indianapolis or elsewhere.
The ESPN piece also floated other veteran paths. Aaron Rodgers, who pushed to be a Viking last year, will be a free agent again. The team kept an eye on Joe Flacco’s market last offseason and could revisit that as a lower-cost bridge.
Depending on how Arizona resets, Kyler Murray could become available via trade. On the “high-end backup” tier, Mac Jones in San Francisco and Davis Mills in Houston were mentioned as affordable trade options, with both front offices believing they could start somewhere in 2026.
As for Daniel Jones, the Colts quarterback recently played through a lower-leg issue that was first labeled a calf injury and then clarified as a fibula problem. After practicing fully late in the week, he was cleared to face the Chiefs, but his recent spike in turnovers was already a concern.
That combination of toughness, mobility, and volatility is exactly why he will draw interest as a top free agent, and why the idea of him circling back to Minnesota as a bridge and challenger to McCarthy is both ironic and very much on the radar.
