Minnesota Vikings in Contact with Another Veteran QB

Plenty of the Minnesota Vikings heavy lifting in free agency has already been done. They’ve revamped the offensive line and heavily invested in the defensive trenches too. They also brought back their best DB talent and added more depth in the secondary and at linebacker. Oh, and don’t forget about the trade they swung for another extremely talented running back.

In other words, this MN Vikings team looks a lot different than the one we saw lose vs the LA Rams in the Wild Card round of the 2024 NFL Playoffs. One glaring omission, however, remains in the QB room. After Sam Darnold got the bag (kind of) in Seattle, Kevin O’Connell and his group of QB whisperers turned their focus to Daniel Jones back.

But after a few months inside the Vikings organization, the former No. 6 overall draft pick didn’t like his QB competition chances vs JJ McCarthy this summer, so he bailed for an easier opportunity to win the starting job in Indianapolis vs Anthony Richardson.

Obviously, the Minnesota Vikings’ current QB conversation is being dominated by all the Aaron Rodgers chatter swirling lately, chatter that continued through the weekend. But as expected, KOC and the Vikings front office continue to prepare for life with multiple veteran quarterbacks, including players not nicknamed A-Rodg.

Joe Flacco to the Minnesota Vikings?

We know one thing for sure. Brett Rypien is not going to be QB2 in Minnesota next season. Beyond that, and the Rodgers rumors, reports on which veteran quarterbacks the Vikings value most out of those remaining have been mostly neon-existent.

That was until today, when respected NFL insider Albert Breer (Sports Illustrated) reported in his Monday Morning Quarterback column that the MN Vikings have been in contact with the other 40-year-old Super Bowl winner still on the market, Joe Flacco.

“Joe Flacco visited the Giants last week—which was a way, I think, for the team to check him out, and for Flacco to get his name back in circulation. Yes, he’s 40. But as a one-year solution, at a way cheaper rate than Cousins or Rodgers, I think the guy can still play. And the Browns, Steelers and Vikings think enough of him still to have checked on him.”

Sports Illustrated

After three years with the New York Jets, in which Joe Flacco operated as a backup mentor for (yet another) Jets first round bust, the Super Bowl XLVII MVP looked like he’d be forced into retirement. Then, Deshaun Watson went down in Cleveland and Flacco was pulled off the couch by former Vikings OC Kevin Stefanski.

The 17-year NFL vet responded by leading the Browns to 11 wins and a playoff appearance. Joe Flacco’s surprise emergency performance that season earned him 2023 Comeback Player of the Year, after 1600 passing yards, 13 TDs and 8 INTs in five games to finish the season.

The 2023 CPOY is headed to Indy 👏@JoeFlacco | @Colts pic.twitter.com/4GcRblH0Vk

— NFL (@NFL) March 13, 2024

Then in 2024, Flacco left the Browns’ clown show and joined something pretty similar with the Indianapolis Colts. After Anthony Richardson literally asked to be benched, Flacco benefited with another opportunity as a starter.

Related: Vikings Hosting Former Top 3 Draft Pick for Free Agency Visit

What does Joe Flacco have left in the tank?

As Breer points out, while Flacco is 40, there would be no questions as to whether or not he could take take over as Minnesota Vikings QB1 in a pinch. In his 8 appearances (6 starts) with the Colts last season, Flacco posted a 65.3% completion rate with 12 touchdowns and 7 interceptions.

If the Vikings were to sign Flacco, it shouldn’t cost much. He made just $5 million in Indianapolis last season. That’s half of what Darnold signed for as the Vikings’ bridge option in 2024. Flacco brings 196 games of NFL experience to the table, along with 4,166 career completions for 54,697 yards, 257 touchdowns and 162 interceptions. that’s a lot of QB wisdom for a curious young JJ McCarthy to soak in.

There isn’t a lot of backup QB talent remaining on the market, especially if Kevin O’Connell is in search for a safer investment than someone like Jameis Winston or Gardner Minshew, which he clearly is.

Signing Flacco would solidify MN Vikings QB plan

Short of signing Aaron Rodgers, virtually any veteran QB addition at this point in free agency, will cement Minnesota’s plans to move forward with J.J. McCarthy as their starter. This is the plan Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has been building toward since taking over the front office in 2022.

McCarthy has been a winner in every single stop he has made. He left Michigan with 40 starts and a National Championship under his belt. His 72.3% completion rate as a junior led the Big Ten. He brings virtually everything Kevin O’Connell could want to the table.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Free Agency Signings – 2025

This will be the second year of McCarthy’s rookie contract. He effectively can be kept in a cost-controlled manner for three years after this one. If the Vikings want to continue utilizing ample amounts of cap space to build around him, this is the way.