Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said on Tuesday that he thought quarterback J.J. McCarthy improved during the 2025 season and outlined the plan for continuing McCarthy’s development in the offseason.
O’Connell said that he thinks “a deep and talented quarterback room will only enhance [McCarthy’s] ability” to grow as a player and that means the team is going to focus on adding competition to that room in the coming months. Undrafted rookie Max Brosmer is currently the only other quarterback under contract for next season.
“I think there has to be,” O’Connell said, via the team’s website. “That’s what’s going to make everybody better in that room. It’s going to be what makes our entire offense thrive through that competition. That should be how our entire organization looks at their individual roles when we compete against each other in the different aspects of the offseason,” he added. “I ultimately think that’s what will [prepare] not only the starter but the next guy and the next guy, and we’ve learned we’ve got to get a lot of guys ready to play. And we’ve got to do it with a responsibility of being the best version of our offense.”
O’Connell said that it remains to be seen what the approach will mean in terms of reps for different quarterbacks, but that McCarthy’s progress will be “a major, major emphasis for our staff” however things wind up looking when the team returns to practice.