The honeymoon phase for J.J. McCarthy in Minnesota has officially ended. It didn’t just fade; it crashed under the weight of a disappointing season, along with public honesty from the face of the franchise. While head coach Kevin O’Connell has long been viewed as a ‘quarterback whisperer,’ recent reports and pointed comments from star receiver Justin Jefferson suggest that O’Connell’s faith in McCarthy as the undisputed starter is wavering.

“I would expect the Minnesota Vikings to bring in at least a veteran next year,” insider Ian Rapoport stated during Super Bowl LX week. “Not really just to compete with J.J. McCarthy, although that’s what it’s going to be, but really just to bolster and strengthen that room.”

According to Rapoport, the Vikings are no longer content to simply hand the keys to McCarthy and hope for the best. The best-case scenario for the young quarterback still remains developing into the player Minnesota once envisioned. However, in case that doesn’t happen, the team plans to be prepared this time. 

For a coach like O’Connell, who is already under immense pressure after a 9-8 finish, the firing of GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has shifted the priority from ‘development’ to ‘winning now.’

Rapoport’s intake came shortly after the tension appeared to have reached a boiling point in Minnesota, with Jefferson going unfiltered on McCarthy’s struggle. Highlighting the struggle at the signal-caller’s position that the entire team endured, the All-Pro receiver questioned if the team’s fate would have been different had Sam Darnold remained the starter over the injury-prone McCarthy.

“Everyone knows the difficulty of the quarterback position this year, how we were dealt it,” Jefferson explained, via USA Today Sports. “Having a quarterback that already had a season under his belt with us, knew the plays, knew the playbook, knew the players… I definitely feel like we would have done better.”

Perhaps he’s right. 

Stay tuned, as this is a developing story!