The Minnesota Vikings have three legitimate options at quarterback currently on the roster for the top two spots in the position group next year, though a fourth name was recently floated as a potential addition in the coming months.
Sam Darnold was the starter all year, earning a 14-3 record and leading Minnesota to the playoffs. J.J. McCarthy was the No. 10 pick in the 2024 NFL draft but sat out his rookie campaign with a knee injury. The New York Giants cut former starter Daniel Jones mid-season who picked Minnesota as his next destination.
There is a reasonable chance that both Darnold and Jones are playing elsewhere in 2025 by some combination of free agency and/or a trade, which would leave the Vikings with an inexperienced McCarthy and no legitimate backup or competition for the starting job should he struggle.
Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report on Jan. 22 floated the idea of Minnesota pursuing former Chicago Bears quarterback and current Pittsburgh Steelers signal-caller Justin Fields in free agency.
“Maybe Fields will never be a classically elite quarterback, but in the right environment he could absolutely work as a game-changing offensive weapon on a consistent basis,” Gagnon wrote. “Imagine him in a special role with the Vikings, for example?”
Fields played out the final season of his four-year, $19 million rookie contract in 2024, going 4-2 as the Steelers’ starter before the team replaced him with Russell Wilson. For his career, Fields has thrown for nearly 7,800 yards, 45 touchdowns and 31 interceptions while rushing the football for 2,509 yards and 19 scores.
Spotrac projects Fields’ market value at around $9 million on a new one-year contract, which would keep Minnesota’s cost at QB far lower in 2025 — and potentially beyond — than if the team chose to extend Darnold on a multiyear deal.
