Vikings Floated as Candidate for Nation’s Top QB After J.J. McCarthy Injury

Nothing has gone exactly to plan at QB for the Minnesota Vikings since the offseason began, which could mean major changes in as little as one year.

Rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy is out for the season before ever taking a meaningful snap, while former No. 3 pick Sam Darnold has a one-year contract to prove himself as something more than a well-groomed backup at the NFL level. Unless something borderline miraculous happens, Minnesota is likely to step into 2025 with as few answers under center as they have now — if not fewer.

Uncertainty at the quarterback position combined with a brutal schedule that includes three playoff teams from last season in the first four weeks could result in the Vikings bottoming out and landing a premier pick in next year’s draft. Should that happen, Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press suggested that Minnesota may look to a rookie signal-caller for the second year in a row.

“Should the Vikings suffer a disheartening season, which appears likely, and end up with a top-five pick in next spring’s draft, it wouldn’t be a shock if they were to choose another quarterback of the future,” Walters wrote on Sunday, September 1. “Georgia’s Carson Beck is considered the top QB in next year’s draft, probably a top-five pick.”

Carson Beck Will Be Enticing Prospect for Vikings if Team Struggles This Season

GettyQuarterback Carson Beck of the Georgia Bulldogs.

Beck arrived at Georgia in 2020 and is playing his fifth season of college football in 2024. That isn’t typically the recipe for the rise of a top draft prospect at the QB position, but his maturity should give him something of an edge entering his rookie campaign next year at the age of 23.

Beck served as a backup on National Championship teams following the 2021 and 2022 seasons before taking the helm and leading the Bulldogs to a 60-point Orange Bowl victory over Florida State following a one-loss campaign in 2023. That defeat came in the final week against Alabama, which resulted in Georgia missing the College Football Playoff amid some significant controversy.

Listed at 6-feet-4 and weighing 215 pounds, Beck threw for 3,941 yards and 24 TDs against 6 INTs last season. He also completed 72.4% of his passes, per Football Reference.

J.J. McCarthy’s Knee Injury Could End Vikings Career Before It Begins

GettyQuarterback J.J. McCarthy of the Minnesota Vikings.

While one could consider it unfair and/or looking too far ahead to talk about the Vikings making a play for Beck next April (should they get the chance), the reality is that even a healthy McCarthy is far from a lock as Minnesota’s next franchise quarterback.

Not only do teams miss frequently on first-round prospects, but circumstance also plays a role. A season-ending injury before the year officially begins is terrible luck. And while it will afford McCarthy the chance to acclimate to the NFL climate and learn Minnesota’s offense inside and out, his absence might also lead to a catastrophe at quarterback that puts the Vikings front office and coaching staff on hot seats heading into next season.

If that happens, not only is drafting a player like Beck a possibility, but Minnesota could very well pursue a top free agent to try and fix its woes with more immediacy.

Although it is just a for instance at the moment, the Dallas Cowboys and three-time Pro Bowler Dak Prescott are poised to enter the last season of the QB’s contract without an extension in place. If the Vikings can take a swing at an established veteran like Prescott with a proven playoff ceiling, it might be considered football malpractice not to at least consider it.

Furthermore, Vikings Wire’s Judd Zulgad reported on July 12 that it might have been Michael Penix Jr. who landed in Minnesota rather than McCarthy had the Atlanta Falcons not surprised the entire league by selecting the Washington quarterback at No. 8 overall in the first round.