The Minnesota Vikings have stood firm since shortly after the draft with regards to the quarterback room.
J.J. McCarthy struggled early in the spring, as the offensive coaching staff heaped mounds of work on his plate — but he remains the starter.
Minnesota also stuck with Brett Rypien at QB3, who joined the team ahead of last year but never played a regular-season snap, and undrafted rookie Max Brosmer who appears bound for the practice squad in 2025.
But the strongest signal the Vikings have sent under center this summer is sticking with Sam Howell as the backup behind McCarthy. The QB2 position can be one of the most crucial spots on the roster. A good one can salvage a game, or even a season; and the second signal-caller on the depth chart is also an insurance policy against disaster at the most important position in the huddle — that of starting quarterback.
NFL and team insiders have talked for weeks about whether Minnesota has done enough under center to ensure the integrity of what may otherwise be a Super Bowl-caliber squad.
That the Vikings are taking a calculated risk on McCarthy, the No. 10 pick of the 2024 draft who is playing on a $22 million rookie-scale contract, makes sense as one of a handful of proven championship-building strategies.
However, the fact that Minnesota is relying on a fourth-year QB in Howell with 20 appearances (5-13) and fewer career TD passes (22) than interceptions (23) has risen more than a few eyebrows around the league. And that the Vikings haven’t explored an upgrade, or at least a lateral move from a talent perspective, to a veteran is an extreme vote of confidence in a player with as little experience and success as Howell possesses.
Vikings Have Among Youngest, Least Experienced QB Rooms in NFL
The injury that McCarthy suffered in August of last year, which cost him his entire rookie campaign, has kept the 22-year-old QB from even a single snap of regular-season experience.
That context makes it even more surprising that Minnesota hasn’t looked at another signal-caller, even if the plan would be to add that player and keep Howell.
The Vikings traded a fifth-round pick swap to the Seattle Seahawks to acquire Howell during the draft in late April, essentially dropping just 30 picks in the proceedings to pick up the quarterback.
Rypien is a five-year pro, though he has appeared in just 10 games and started only four of them (2-2). He has amassed just four TD passes and nine interceptions in his career.
Along with McCarthy and Brosmer, the Vikings are among the youngest QB rooms in the league, as well as among the least tested and least proven. The average age of Minnesota’s signal-callers is just under 25 years old.
Kirk Cousins Could Be Solution if Vikings Need to Replace Sam Howell
Judd Zulgad of SKOR North suggested last month that Minnesota may consider bringing in a new quarterback if Howell bombs out at camp.
However, the team is likely to give Howell at least a two or three weeks of practice time, as well as snaps in a preseason game or two, before deciding he isn’t an acceptable backup QB behind McCarthy.
That will severely limit any other quarterback’s time to pick up the Vikings’ offense. However, head coach Kevin O’Connell has shown the ability to bring signal-callers along quickly, namely Josh Dobbs in 2023 after Kirk Cousins tore his ACL mid-season.
Ironically, Cousins — the long-time starter for the Vikings who left for the Atlanta Falcons in free agency in 2024 — is a potential trade option for Minnesota if it does decide to add a veteran. He would likely cost the Vikings a Day-3 draft asset, while they would also have to pick up a portion of his $27.5 million salary in 2025 — probably in the range of $10 million or more.
