The Minnesota Vikings still need to address their third quarterback spot, either through the draft or free agency. Currently, only J.J. McCarthy and Brett Rypien are listed at quarterback after Sam Darnold joined the Seahawks and Daniel Jones signed with the Colts. Despite swirling rumors about Aaron Rodgers possibly signing, the team has committed to McCarthy as their 2025 starter. That leaves one open QB spot, and Minnesota may look to bring in a veteran.
On FS1’s First Things First, the panel discussed a Sports Illustrated piece by Albert Breer on the Vikings’ QB situation. Former NFL head coach Eric Mangini weighed in, saying he expects the team to add a reliable backup who could win games if McCarthy struggles or gets injured. He suggested that Minnesota might wait until later in the offseason to bring in a seasoned veteran—possibly Kirk Cousins or Aaron Rodgers—depending on how things unfold.
Chris Broussard asked Mangini whether Cousins or Rodgers would be willing to take a backup role. Mangini explained that Cousins could be open to it, especially considering his strong ties to the Vikings organization. He added that Cousins may believe he can still win the starting job if he returns, and even if not, he’d be in a familiar, supportive environment with a guaranteed salary.
Cousins had a productive six-year run in Minnesota, earning three Pro Bowl nods and posting a career-best season in 2022 with 4,547 passing yards and 29 touchdowns. After signing with Atlanta, he started 14 games last season before being benched. The Falcons may look to trade him after June 1 to ease salary cap issues, although that would require Cousins to waive his no-trade clause.
While McCarthy is expected to lead the team, bringing in a veteran like Cousins or Rodgers could shake things up heading into training camp.
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