An injury-riddled season put JJ McCarthy’s role with the Minnesota Vikings in question. With top heads openly admitting they are exploring potential options, many wondered whether the franchise would consider landing quarterback Aaron Rodgers. But before one gets his hopes high, an insider believes Minnesota wouldn’t take that route. In his view, the team’s goal is to create genuine competition at quarterback.

“The idea of bringing in Aaron Rodgers, and if the season doesn’t get off to a good start, you’re not benching four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers,” Tom Pelissero said on the Rich Eisen Show. “You’re having an open competition between Aaron Rodgers and JJ McCarthy. I don’t believe you can have an open competition between Kirk Cousins and JJ McCarthy because you’ve got thousands of fans pulling out their number eight jerseys.”

Pelissero’s response came when Eisen asked whether the Vikings were trying to bring in a veteran presence. The insider didn’t deny it and claimed that’s exactly what they intended to do last year when they didn’t bring in Seattle QB Sam Darnold. He highlighted how the Vikings expected the other teams to outbid them when they couldn’t bring in Seattle QB Sam Darnold.

Their backup plan was to pursue Daniel Jones, who joined the Indianapolis Colts with a similar offer. Now, they want to mirror their last year’s approach. According to Pelissero, the Vikings want to welcome a proven signal caller who could directly compete with their young QB. But having him stand against giants like Aaron Rodgers or Cousins would be a stretch.

Some of the veteran QBs who make sense in Pelissero’s opinion include Kyler Murray and Geno Smith. Murray’s case holds because he has meaningful experience as a starter and playmaking ability. While he has never played under head coach Kevin O’Connell’s offense, Tom didn’t rule him out. Next, he thinks Smith also makes a strong candidate because he could compete fairly while still allowing the team to transition to McCarthy. Meanwhile, Pelissero thinks the organization still has JJ McCarthy’s back.

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“The idea last year was to have JJ in a competitive situation,” he explained. “It didn’t play out that way based on all these other things [injuries] that happened, that were somewhat out of their control. They want to have him in a competitive situation. They have a belief in JJ McCarthy.”

For now, Pelissero highlighted that Minnesota’s QB has bounced back and plans to train alongside star receiver Justin Jefferson. As for Aaron Rodgers, there is still no clarity on his 2026 return, but the Pittsburgh Steelers are reportedly in talks with him. 

“We’ve expressed it was a really good experience with Aaron, and that option’s still out there,” general manager Omar Khan said at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Despite Pelissero’s update, McCarthy’s future with the Vikings remains up in the air. 

McCarthy’s future looks bleak amid Aaron Rodgers’ update

JJ McCarthy had a terrible 2025 season after he suffered three separate injuries. These include high-ankle sprains, concussion-like conditions, and hairline fractures. He had already sat out the season before that due to poor health. This time, he managed to suit up for ten games. He completed 140 of 243 passes for 1,632 yards with eleven touchdowns and twelve interceptions.

The numbers come nowhere close to even the scores of quarterbacks who had a moderate season. The Vikings could see it. And that’s why executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski is not leaving any chances. He admitted that the team is considering every potential move to bolster the quarterback room. 

“What we do know is we need a level of baseline quarterback play for us to be effective,” Brzezinski said, via ESPN. “A lot of this has been J.J. in unfortunate [situations] with some of the injuries and things that he’s dealt with…I don’t think there’s anything specifically we’re looking for. We can’t manufacture anything that’s not there…”

He explained that the front office must evaluate all realistic and financially responsible options before deciding on anything. Meanwhile, Hall of Famer Jared Allen also expressed concern over McCarthy’s health. He questioned whether the QB could remain healthy enough to lead the team in the long term. He stated that one can’t be a starter if they are not fit. The Vikings may believe in McCarthy’s talent, but it all comes down to his health and consistency.