The Vikings have made it clear that they plan for J.J. McCarthy to be their starting quarterback in 2025, but the identity of their backup quarterback has been the subject of some interest in Minnesota this offseason.
McCarthy did not play as a rookie because of a knee injury and Sam Darnold is now in Seattle, which leaves Brett Rypien as the only other quarterback on the roster. Rypien has been around the league for a while, but he isn’t the ideal Plan B in the event that the Vikings have to turn to another signal caller.
There’s been some thought that the Vikings are waiting to sign someone until after the draft so they don’t affect the comp pick formula and General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said at a Thursday press conference that it is a consideration, but not the only one that the team is keeping in mind.
“We’re gonna focus on, as my staff always does, the best opportunities there,” Adofo-Mensah said. “We’re not going to rush it either way. But we’re mindful of it.”
Other teams have been less patient when it comes to securing their backups, so there’s a limited number of available free agents at the position. They include names like Carson Wentz, Desmond Ridder, and C.J. Beathard.
