Hello everyone, and welcome to the Week 14 Minnesota Vikings roundtable here at Daily Norseman. The Vikes are on the verge of elimination from the playoff field, but that’s not really in play anymore anyway.
It’s now time to see what the Vikings can get from J.J. McCarthy, if they can get him in sync with Justin Jefferson and about finding out who is part of the future and who is playing out the string in Purple.
Let’s talk to it:
Question 1: What do you need to see from J.J. McCarthy the rest of the way?
Brandon Warne: I need to see potential. I need to see an inside-out game where his decision-making allows him to take short plays and live to fight another day. I love me a gunslinger and Lord knows we’ve seen them here with Brett Favre and even Case Keenum, but as Paul Allen likes to say, sometimes discretion is the better part of valor. Plus, working on the short game should help with his accuracy issues — and ironing them out — which should in turn open up the plays downfield that he loves so much.
Christopher Gates: Man, at this point, just show us anything. Go out there, run the offense, move the ball down the field, and score points. There’s talent in there somewhere, and there’s five games left in this season for him to show it. At this point, McCarthy has to know that he’s playing for his spot next season and that the team is, at the very least, going to be bringing in competition for him in 2026. He needs to go out there and show that there’s a reason this team made him a top ten draft choice and give this team and these fans something to actually believe in going forward. Wins and losses are irrelevant at this point. Just show us something positive.
Craig Williams: We need to see faster decision-making and better accuracy. McCarthy has to give some hope to the front office that he can develop into the QB of the future.
Warren Ludford: Signs of improvement in accuracy, processing, throwing with touch, and durability.
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Question 2: Assume the Vikings bring in a veteran QB this offseason: who do you want to see, and how do you make it happen?
BW: I think it’s gotta be Jameis Winston. I’m still not sure why he signed a deal worth about $4 million per year — peanuts for a quarterback with his spotty, but sizable resume — but that’s the perfect type of guy to pit against McCarthy. There’s a lot of Winston’s game in McCarthy’s and vice versa, and you’d hope the competition would bring the best out of JJM without adding much of a deleterious effect. I don’t know, I have a hard time seeing someone like Kyler Murray coming through that door. And what’s the use of bringing in another for sure starter to kick the fan on McCarthy further down the road? Kyler only makes sense if you’re all the way out on McCarthy, or if you’re able to get him cheap with the hopes that through injuries and all that, one of them emerges as the guy.
CG: There’s just about nothing out there in the free agent market. The Colts might let Daniel Jones go again, but the bloom is coming off of that rose rather quickly after he got off to a hot start to the season. The Cardinals might be ready to let Kyler Murray go, but the only way I’d explore that is if they released him. I do not want this team trading anything of actual value for a quarterback, because if this team has to go through a full-blown rebuild in either 2026 or 2027, they are going to need all the picks they can get. I’d be tempted to see if the Chiefs let Gardner Minshew leave, since he’s had some actual success as a starter in this league in the past. But, man. . .hoping that J.J. McCarthy finally gets it really is the best path, and that’s sort of scary.
CW: Anyone but Aaron Rodgers. Who doesn’t want Jameis Winston and Justin Jefferson on the same team? Daniel Jones will likely be tagged, so he won’t be an option. Once you get past him, you’re hoping to revive Russell Wilson/Aaron Rodgers or going with career backups.
WL: Mac Jones is probably the best of what’s out there at a reasonable price. The Vikings are over-a-barrel though and the 49ers will likely squeeze them for trade compensation. A day-three pick for the last year of Jones’ contract would be fair.
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Question 3: In your opinion, which Vikings currently on the team will not be next season (do not include FA to be)?
BW:
CG: I don’t see a scenario where Ryan Kelly is back with this team next year. Between the concussion issues and not being all that great when he’s been on the field, I think he’s gone as soon as the Vikings can cut him this offseason. T.J. Hockenson seems to be a popular pick as a guy who isn’t going to be back, but if McCarthy starts to show a little something, he’s a guy who could have a bounceback year in 2026. There are guys that I wish would be gone before next year, like Byron Murphy, but their cap charges could make it prohibitive to cut them. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah…or whoever is running the team this offseason…is going to have some tough decisions to make.
CW: Javon Hargrave would net them $11MM savings to the cap. He’s not living up to the hefty salary he’s being paid. Brian O’Neil will be heading into his last year, cutting him would net a nice $19.5MM savings.
WL: Ryan Kelly and Javon Hargrave seem the most likely salary cap casualties. Aaron Jones could be too. I could also see the Vikings moving on from TJ Hockenson and potentially trading Jordan Addison.
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Question 4: What are you watching for the rest of the way besides JJM?
BW: Depending on dead money, I wouldn’t be shocked if most of this past free agent class isn’t cleared out. What a bust that has been. Beyond that, Brian O’Neill could be a surprise cut as his cap hit isn’t as oppressive as one might think, and I think Aaron Jones might be one foot out the door as well (and maybe the Vikings do, in fact, draft Jeremiyah Love as almost every mock draft seems to suggest). When push comes to shove, this is going to be a VERY different roster when camps open up six or seven months from now.
CG: I would like to see Tai Felton finally get some chances on offense. I believe the Vikings’ logic behind drafting Felton was that they were going to lose Jalen Nailor this offseason, and that’s likely going to be the case, but they’ve given Felton just about no opportunities on offense. Through 12 games this season, he has one more catch than I do. Now that Adam Thielen is no longer doing. . .whatever it was that Adam Thielen was doing while he was here. . .this team needs to start trying to work Felton into the offensive game plan and see if they have something in him as a potential WR3 for next season.
CW: Rooting for my fantasy team guys (Jefferson/Addison), Donovan Jackson’s devlopment at OG, and Harrison Smith playing out what might be his last season.
WL: Mainly performance of younger players, who continues to play hard and who doesn’t, Kevin O’Connell’s decision making and how he manages the offense.
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Question 5: What’s your final score prediction for Sunday and why?
BW: I don’t think they’ll hang with the Commanders offensively. Last week, I thought the defense played as well as possible with all things considered, and I’m hoping it isn’t more of the same this week. With that said, if it is, the water level is a bit higher with McCarthy at quarterback than it was last week with Max Brosmer. I’ll say Commanders 28, Vikings 17.
CG: I thought this game was going to be more of a toss-up before the Commanders announced that Jayden Daniels was going to be starting for them on Sunday after missing five games with an elbow injury. Daniels is a dynamic force at quarterback, and he’s exactly the sort of player that gives the Vikings’ defense issues. I think they’re going to have a difficult time containing him, and although I think the Vikings will show some sparks of life on offense in this one, I’m not sure it’s going to be enough. I’ll take the visiting team in this one, 27-24.
CW: Commies 24 – Vikes 20, I think it will be close, but have no faith in the team to close it out.
WL: I expect the Vikings to lose narrowly mainly because the offense continues to struggle.
