The Minnesota Vikings probably don’t need a veteran QB to start the majority of their regular season games in 2025, but they may very well need a signal-caller capable of stepping into the lineup in a big spot.
Second-year QB J.J. McCarthy is in line to win the starting job in Minnesota, though he will have to prove himself in training camp after an injury robbed him of his entire rookie campaign. The Vikings remain in the market for a viable backup after Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones departed in free agency, and a veteran with meaningful experience appears to align with the team’s needs more than a flier on Day 3 of the upcoming NFL draft — or the like.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report on Saturday, April 5, dubbed Joe Flacco as the free agent best equipped to provide McCarthy with guidance and offer the Vikings a viable backup option if necessary during the 2025 campaign.
“While there’s been plenty of buzz about the Vikings and Aaron Rodgers — head coach Kevin O’Connell recently told reporters that the quarterback reached out to Minnesota — Joe Flacco would be a more sensible option,” Knox wrote. “Flacco showed with the [Indianapolis] Colts last season that he can support a young quarterback and still be ready to start in a pinch. He could do the same in Minnesota without drawing the attention that Rodgers inevitably would.”
Joe Flacco Arguably Best Veteran QB Option to Back Up Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy
Flacco is probably the most sensible choice for the Vikings, assuming the team is looking for a veteran.
Minnesota has reportedly spoken with Ryan Tannehill about the job, but he sat out the entirety of last season while waiting for an opportunity to start somewhere in the league. A full year off from the game could give the Vikings pause on Tannehill, while many of the other QBs on the free-agent market don’t have the resumè Flacco does.
Flacco won a Super Bowl MVP with the Baltimore Ravens following the 2012 campaign and has been an on-again, off-again starter in the league over the past two years. He carried the Cleveland Browns to a 4-1 record down the stretch of the 2023 campaign, which ended with a wildcard playoff berth. He also appeared in eight contests for the Colts last season, starting six of those games and going 2-4 with 1,761 passing yards, 12 TDs and 8 INTs.
Browns Represent Potential Competition for Joe Flacco
The Vikings don’t need more than a one-year solution in the QB2 spot this season, and finding one at a reasonable price is likely a priority for the front office after spending a considerable amount of salary cap space to revamp the offensive and defensive lines.
Spotrac projects Flacco’s market value at $3.2 million on a new one-year deal, which fits into Minnesota’s budget.
The biggest threat to the Vikings where Flacco is concerned is potentially the Browns, who will need a starting QB if they choose not select one with the No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming draft. Cleveland fans gravitated to Flacco during the playoff run two years ago, and he may have a chance to start there with only an injured Deshaun Watson and Kenny Pickett currently on the roster.
