Getty
Quarterback J.J. McCarthy of the Minnesota Vikings.
The Minnesota Vikings are rolling with undrafted rookie quarterback Max Brosmer as their starter in a must-win game on the road against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13, which is a snapshot of just how badly the position has regressed in Minneapolis since last year.
It is not fair to pass judgement on the 24-year-old Brosmer before his first-ever start in the league, but history says things could get ugly fast against a talented Seahawks defense. The most recent Vikings history suggests the same, as second-year QB JJ McCarthy started his first NFL contest in Week 1 and is now sidelined with his second serious injury of the year (concussion) after a 2-6 start, in which he has completed 54.1 percent of his passes for six TDs and 10 INTs.
Minnesota inked Desmond Ridder this week simply to have another body under center if it proves necessary on Sunday, November 30, as former backup Carson Wentz (2-3 in 2025) is out for the season following shoulder surgery. In hindsight, one can say with certainty that the Vikings wildly misjudged what they had at QB coming into the campaign. Minnesota also had no answers behind McCarthy after Sam Darnold (Seahawks) and Daniel Jones (Indianapolis Colts) walked in free agency to teams that are both now 8-3 heading into Week 13.
The Vikings’ options next spring aren’t going to be numerous for a variety of reasons, though it’s near a certainty that the team will add at least one QB, if not multiple, so as to have a viable Plan B should one become necessary. Among the more promising possibilities is a potential trade with the San Francisco 49ers, in which Minnesota swaps a third-round draft pick for the resurgent Mac Jones.
Mac Jones Could Prove Success Story in Minnesota Similar to Sam Darnold
GettySan Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones.
The New England Patriots gave up on Jones three seasons after selecting him No. 15 overall out of Alabama in the 2021 NFL draft. Jones went 2-5 in Jacksonville last season following a Patriots-Jaguars trade. He landed with the 49ers on a two-year deal worth $8.4 million total in March.
Injury problems to San Francisco’s regular starter Brock Purdy have afforded Jones the opportunity to play in nine games and start eight of those (5-3) in 2025. He has completed 69.6 percent of his passes for 2,151 yards, 13 TDs and six INTs.
There would be some ironic symmetry to Jones landing with the Vikings in 2026 after rehabbing his career and rebuilding his value in the NFC West. Darnold did the same thing with the 49ers in 2023 before inking a one-year deal with Minnesota last season, leading the team to a 14-3 record and earning a monster payday with the Seahawks following the first Pro Bowl campaign of his career.
The main difference is that Darnold came to the Vikings as a free agent, whereas Minnesota will have to trade for Jones if they hope to land him this offseason, as the 49ers have the QB under contract through 2026.
Mac Jones Trade Can Offer Vikings Maximum Flexibility at QB in 2026
GettyQuarterback Mac Jones of the San Francisco 49ers.
Jones has done enough to rebuild his value, and the Vikings are in desperate enough need of another option under center heading into 2026, that Minnesota will probably need to surrender a Day 2 pick to acquire him.
The 49ers wouldn’t be in their current position to contend for the playoffs without Jones, so it isn’t likely they will give him up for any sort of discount. As such, Jones’ price in trade will probably prove a third-round pick, or potentially even a second-rounder.
One consideration that might make Jones worth that cost is the fact that he can begin next season as QB2, potentially take over and lead the Vikings to success if McCarthy struggles or gets injured, and remains young and talented enough to be both a short-term and long-term solution under center if McCarthy falters.
If that doesn’t happen, Minnesota could perhaps flip Jones ahead of the trade deadline for a draft asset or let him walk in free agency in 2027 after paying him just $2.8 million in base salary next season.
Max Dible covers the NFL, NBA and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns. He covered local and statewide news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and served as news director for BigIslandNow.com and Pacific Media Group’s family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy. More about Max Dible
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