Minnesota Vikings Miss on Another Veteran QB

If you include the two-day legal tampering period, which began March 10, NFL free agency has been open for over a month, now. It’s hard to believe, but the 2025 NFL Draft — where the Minnesota Vikings hold the No. 24 overall pick — is less than two weeks away.

While the Vikings were much busier during the early stages of free agency, than they will be during the draft, there is still one glaring spot on Minnesota’s depth chart that cannot be filled through the draft, and that is a veteran QB to pair with JJ McCarthy in 2025.

Knowing how quickly QB1s and QB2s fly off the board in free agency, it felt like quarterback would be one of the first signings of the Vikings’ 2025 class. But that’s not the way reality has played out, thanks to the Aaron Rodgers waiting game (which is still ongoing), along with a bloated number of available veteran quarterbacks.

Another veteran QB — Joe Flacco — falls off the free agent board

That was before Friday morning, when possibly the best QB2 on the market from the very beginning, 40-year-old Joe Flacco, signed with former Vikings OC Kevin Stefanski and the Cleveland Browns. Flacco — who won NFL Comeback Player of the Year in Cleveland, under Stefanski, in 2023 — chose the Browns over the Vikings and Steelers, per Adam Schefter.

Reunion: the Cleveland Browns and veteran quarterback Joe Flacco reached agreement today on a one-year, $4 million deal worth up to $13 million with incentives, his agency @JLSports3 told ESPN. Flacco now will return to Cleveland, where he won the NFL’s Comeback Player of the… pic.twitter.com/pOaCuhrVmS

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 11, 2025

So, here we sit on April 11, with the draft inching closer, and the Minnesota Vikings still need a veteran QB to pair with JJ McCarthy. Weren’t we led to believe that free agent quarterbacks would flock to Eagan, upon invitation, just so they could work for the the second-highest rated employer in the NFL, while having KOC whisper sweet QB nothings in their ear?

But Flacco isn’t the first veteran QB this offseason to give the Vikings and their head coach the cold shoulder… so what gives? Well, at this point, it has become very clear that those leading the MN Vikings organization are extremely comfortable with where JJ McCarthy is in his development, something that these veterans are picking up on too.

Veteran NFL quarterbacks afraid of MN Vikings QB competition vs JJ McCarthy?

Last month, Sam Darnold signed with Seattle — not because he wanted to leave Minnesota — but because neither the money nor the role being offered by the Vikings were comparable to that of the Seahawks.

Then, there’s Aaron Rodgers, who is still making the Steelers wait, while he holds out hope that the Vikings will change their minds. Right now, that seems like a pipedream. And don’t forget about Daniel Jones.

Related: Sportsbooks Not Buying the Draft Plans Vikings are Selling…

The Minnesota Vikings signed the 2019 No. 6 overall pick toward the end of 2024, after the New York Giants cut him loose. Most thought he would be the guy to push JJ McCarthy during 2025 Vikings training camp.

Instead, Jones landed in Indianapolis. Why? Because beating out Anthony Richardson for the Colts’ QB1 job felt more plausible than doing the same in Minnesota, vs McCarthy. See a pattern here?

"We know we're in a tough division, we know we have tough battles ahead, but having a young quarterback like JJ McCarthy leading us with coach O'Connells guidance gives us a lot of confidence."- Mark Wilf

My god can football season hurry up already. pic.twitter.com/DP1MjgY5FF

— The Brohioan (@TheBrohioan) April 1, 2025

While the Minnesota Vikings have not yet told McCarthy that he is their starter in 2025, they have leaked as much to media. And behind the scenes, there’s clearly something scaring these higher-end veteran quarterbacks away. That’s because, if given the option, these guys want to play. And in Minnesota, that must appear far-fetched.

So much so, that they leave their meetings with the Vikings thinking they don’t stand much of a chance at all, of winning a QB competition vs McCarthy during offseason workouts and in training camp. Either (a) JJ is already too good and/or (b) any preseason dual is likely to be rigged in his favor.

Who is left on the QB market for the Minnesota Vikings?

No doubt, the Minnesota Vikings are running out of veteran backup QB options for 2025. Right now, JJ McCarthy and Brett Rypien are the only to quarterbacks under contract. So, who’s left on the board? When it comes to free agency, the “high end” backup options are pretty much down to Ryan Tannehill, who has been linked to Minnesota for weeks.

Related: What Does Mel Kiper’s Latest Mock Tell Us About Vikings Draft Plans?

That connection became more serious the moment Daniel Jones signed in Indy and the Vikings made it clear they were out on Aaron Rodgers, who still happens to be the best QB available on the open market. Until he signs elsewhere, it’ll be impossible to completely silence the Vikings + Rodgers chatter.

Then, there are the trade options, the most intriguing of which is Kirk Cousins. He hates his life in Atlanta so much that rumor on the street is he’d embrace a backup role behind JJ McCarthy, if that was his only out. How will everything play out? Only time will tell…