When it comes to quarterbacks, Kevin O'Connell and the Vikings deserve the benefit of the doubt. They've earned that over the last three years. They undoubtedly have a plan for adding a backup quarterback to a room that currently features only J.J. McCarthy and Brett Rypien — it's just that the specifics of that plan are anyone's guess at this point.
It's now been five weeks since NFL free agency began. The draft is quickly approaching. And the Vikings have patiently waited as all kinds of backup quarterbacks have signed elsewhere. The two latest options to come off the board this past weekend were Joe Flacco (Browns) and Drew Lock (Seahawks).
According to KSTP's Darren Wolfson, the Vikings weren't in on either player.
"They were not in on Drew Lock, they were not in on Joe Flacco," Wolfson said on SKOR North. "In fact, Joe Flacco's representation was trying to get Joe here. He thought it was a very logical fit. He loved the idea, Joe's representation, of Joe being here. But the Vikings never took the bait. The Vikings never made an offer in the end."
Flacco wound up getting a one-year, $4 million deal from Cleveland that could be worth up to $13 million with incentives, according to reports.
So what is the Vikings' plan? We know they're waiting until after the draft to sign any other free agents of note, so that they don't mess with the 2026 compensatory pick formula. Carson Wentz is still out there, and he could make sense after spending the last two seasons as a backup for the Chiefs and Rams. Ryan Tannehill, who shares an agent with McCarthy, is the other free agent QB of note (aside from Aaron Rodgers, who we know isn't viewed as an option for Minnesota).
Maybe it won't be a free agent. There's been buzz from folks like Wolfson and The Athletic's Alec Lewis that a trade for a quarterback could be a possibility. Two names that have been floated are Sam Howell and Aidan O'Connell. Howell, the former Washington starter, is now the likely QB3 in Seattle due to Lock's arrival, so he could be available. Perhaps the Vikings will, at some point, ship out a late-round 2026 draft pick to bring in a quarterback of their choosing.
The idea of a potential reunion with Kirk Cousins, if he's released or traded by the Falcons, is another one that's come up, but there are several factors that would seemingly make that unlikely.
The other possibility is that the Vikings are higher on Rypien that anyone thinks. Maybe they're comfortable with him as their veteran backup and are considering drafting a Day 3 QB as their addition to the room. That seems less likely — can a team in win-now mode really have Rypien or a rookie as the backup to an unproven McCarthy? — but also can't be ruled out.
For now, the plan remains unclear. All we can do is wait and see which course of action O'Connell and company end up taking — whenever they do eventually make their move.
