QB option nobody is talking about...

purplefaithful wrote:

Look, there is no changing your mind and I'm not trying to. But out of all the issues out in Eagan, I dont put KOC in tier1 to fix. 

Thats not saying he doesnt have areas to improve (he does) but the guys play hard for him and they damn near made the playoffs with no QB play. At 4/8 they could have all packed it in and they didnt. Thats a win btw, not a bad thing and it sets the foundation for a 26 spring back. 

Give KOC a decent QB? And they will be right back to competing for the North and (hopefully) winning some post season games in the near future. My hope that guy is McCarthy.

The tier 1 issue created by our owners four years ago has been rectified with the firing of Kwesi. It's no secret I wanted Jim Harbaugh as our coach, but I've been okay with OConnell up until this season where the curtain was pulled back and much revealed. I just don't think he's the guy people make him out to be and I have major doubts he ever gets this team to a Super Bowl based on his offense and playcalling. We finally have some late season success running the football with McCarthy and what does OConnell do? Pisses and moans at the postseason presser about having to "dumb down" his offense and wanting to get back to the chuck and duck. That's stubbornness at a level not seen in these parts since Childress and his kick ass offense. That's why I say, I'm shedding no tears or losing any sleep if OConnell is axed in the near future.

My sense right now, from asking around, is all the top quarterbacks that will be, or could be, available, Kyler Murray, Geno Smith, this is the place they want to go. It is Minnesota,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said Friday on NFL Live.

MaroonBells wrote:
My sense right now, from asking around, is all the top quarterbacks that will be, or could be, available, Kyler Murray, Geno Smith, this is the place they want to go. It is Minnesota,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said Friday on NFL Live.

I lowkey am suspicious that KOC has been leaking these "Every QB wants to go to MN" leaks.

medaille wrote:

I lowkey am suspicious that KOC has been leaking these "Every QB wants to go to MN" leaks.

This is the time of year aka silly season where 95% or more of what you hear is unadulterated b.s.  

Just cut and paste every football rumor you run across between now and the draft into a notepad file then read it afterwards for laughs.

medaille wrote:

I lowkey am suspicious that KOC has been leaking these "Every QB wants to go to MN" leaks.

Ha! But honestly, if you were a QB is there a team you'd rather go to? I don't think there's another team that comes even close. Plus, both Carr and Murray have all but confirmed their desire to come to Minnesota.

StickierBuns wrote:
I'm going to go with the in-house option:

Preach!!! He just has to stay on the field and the team has to get serious about a solid backup plan.

pattersaur wrote:

Preach!!! He just has to stay on the field and the team has to get serious about a solid backup plan.

The kid has been snake-bit, no other word for it. 

I hope to hell he's got the ceiling I think he does, but he's gotta play. 

At this point, the Vikings have no choice but to bring in a VERY capable back-up, Qb2 or whatever you want to call it. 

Ive been a season tix holder since the Moon days and we just got our tab for the 2026 tix. They are expensive and this team has been such a fan emotional drain every other year. Got me thinking this season for the first time in a while, do I renew??

Thats an easier yes as a fan when you know the right guy is playing QB.

StickierBuns wrote:

KOC said the 'QB room' would be upgraded....he didn't specifically mention the starter. The only real doubt the team has is can he stay healthy? And I think they believe he can but he'll have to show it...hard to argue he wasn't snakebit. And there can't be an UDFA like Brosmer at QB2 and there won't be. Wentz getting injured and the O-line decimation with injuries really complicated things. JJM was 6-4 as a starter.

The team HAS to see JJ McCarthy to its end or its true beginning. He'll be QB1 come September.

Brosmer wasnt QB2 until QB1 went down... again.   We can point fingers all day at Brosmer,  but he was supposed to be a project, not the starter or even QB2. 

JJM needs to get his shit right mentally,  his body right physically and put this fucking thing to bed this year.  He needs to play hard,  but with the understanding that he isnt going to intimidate anybody on the other side of the ball with his physicality,  he best way to take their soul is by staying on the field and crushing their spirit by hanging 6s on the board.

I'm going to go with the in-house option:

StickierBuns wrote:

Well.....yeah, that's what young QBs all need to do, learn things.

I would hope a QB in his second year in the pros would have enough common sense to not try and square up defenders as he is running OB, especially one that is a year removed from a major knee injury,  a  couple months from a significant concussion,  and an ankle injury that have basically rendered his first 2 years in the league as useless in determining if he has a future as our QB.  I love the kid,  but he needs to grow up quicker mentally than what he showed this year.

pattersaur wrote:


Preach!!! He just has to stay on the field and the team has to get serious about a solid backup plan.

KOC said the 'QB room' would be upgraded....he didn't specifically mention the starter. The only real doubt the team has is can he stay healthy? And I think they believe he can but he'll have to show it...hard to argue he wasn't snakebit. And there can't be an UDFA like Brosmer at QB2 and there won't be. Wentz getting injured and the O-line decimation with injuries really complicated things. JJM was 6-4 as a starter.

The team HAS to see JJ McCarthy to its end or its true beginning. He'll be QB1 come September.

StickierBuns wrote:

I guess I'm surprised SO many fans on this board were so upset with this play by JJ. I think he was very frustrated with all of his injuries and he had some of that to vent off with that play. Was it really that big of a deal? IMO it showed moxie and fire, that stiff arm was sweet! ;) I don't know, IMO I don't get the angst over it. Just me I guess.

Pretty sure the kid could shit in your cheerios and you would be ok with it,  you are likely as big a fan of his as his Mom.  :P I think myself and others want to see good decision making and some maturity.  He has enough to deal with from his shaky start to his career.   He can lead in ways that dont make him a bigger target for the opposition or hos detractors. 

Maybe its just me starting to think he is made of glass and not wating to see our new(ish) toy get broken... again.

JimmyinSD wrote:


Brosmer wasnt QB2 until QB1 went down... again.   We can point fingers all day at Brosmer,  but he was supposed to be a project, not the starter or even QB2. 

JJM needs to get his shit right mentally,  his body right physically and put this fucking thing to bed this year.  He needs to play hard,  but with the understanding that he isnt going to intimidate anybody on the other side of the ball with his physicality,  he best way to take their soul is by staying on the field and crushing their spirit by hanging 6s on the board.

Well.....yeah, that's what young QBs all need to do, learn things.

JimmyinSD wrote:


I would hope a QB in his second year in the pros would have enough common sense to not try and square up defenders as he is running OB, especially one that is a year removed from a major knee injury,  a  couple months from a significant concussion,  and an ankle injury that have basically rendered his first 2 years in the league as useless in determining if he has a future as our QB.  I love the kid,  but he needs to grow up quicker mentally than what he showed this year.

I guess I'm surprised SO many fans on this board were so upset with this play by JJ. I think he was very frustrated with all of his injuries and he had some of that to vent off with that play. Was it really that big of a deal? IMO it showed moxie and fire, that stiff arm was sweet! ;) I don't know, IMO I don't get the angst over it. Just me I guess.

StickierBuns wrote:

I guess I'm surprised SO many fans on this board were so upset with this play by JJ. I think he was very frustrated with all of his injuries and he had some of that to vent off with that play. Was it really that big of a deal? IMO it showed moxie and fire, that stiff arm was sweet! ;) I don't know, IMO I don't get the angst over it. Just me I guess.

For me it wasn’t about that play by itself. By itself I don’t think anyone cares. It’s just a number of things he’s done on and off the field that, put together, signal immaturity.

It was interesting watching Drake Maye in the playoffs. He wasn’t great, but the calmness in his body language was just so much different than JJ’s. He seemed years older. If Maye’s ceiling is Tom Brady, JJ’s is maybe Brett Favre. Like with Favre, I don’t think you’re ever going to take that moxie out of him, just hope it evens out as he matures. Everything with JJ last year was too much. Too much youth, too much arm, too much amp, too much 9.

If the sign of a mature QB is a quiet mind, JJ’s mind is louder than my daughter’s stereo. He's got to find the right balance.

StickierBuns wrote:

You're talking different kinds of personalities. Fiery or calm. JMO, I think some of you are mixing his locker room antics with his on the field ones: completely different. And a few posters threw in the ol' 'he needs to prove something first before he acts like that' which shows where its coming from: old school, pay your dues crap. There's plenty of fiery QBs in the NFL, including Tom Brady, Baker Mayfield and Peyton Manning, and that's only naming a few. Patrick Mahomes has been plenty demonstrative. What some fans have a problem with isn't anything other than he looked really bad for a stretch....and they decided he was a bust. Everything he did afterwards was just fodder for criticism and they couldn't look at him any other way. He does have a different persona on gameday and like other players have said, so do they. But he's always been this way. The lack of maturity things just doesn't ring true here, but I'm his 'Mom' here so the board is tired of me trying to show some positivity that his story isn't over yet. I'm still ringing his bell, but like I've done with every other player, if he sucks this year I'll be there to say so. 

To encapsulate where I currently am with JJ: love his upside still, excited to see him with more reps and fully expect him to be QB1 in September. I don't think any of that is unusual or beyond the pale. And as I've mentioned, if KOC think he's toast, we'll all know in the next 2 months by who he brings in to 'elevate the QB room'. Because no matter what anyone thinks, the team cannot have a repeat of last year at the position production-wise. I don't begrudge anyone any feelings about his play, but I really don't think he suffers from any lack of maturity. His teammates certainly don't think so.

I agree on his upside. I'm still very excited to see what he eventually becomes. The ceiling is over the moon. But I don't fully expect him to be the starter in September. I hope he is, but if I'm honest with myself, he might be another year away. I think he's the kind of QB who needed a Jordan Love or Aaron Rodgers type on ramp and he didn't get it. The injury his rookie season really set him back. So what we saw last year was a rookie being thrown into the fire too soon. He developed some bad habits that need to be corrected this offseason...and maybe next.

I think this is the most interesting off-season in a long while...

MaroonBells wrote:


For me it wasn’t about that play by itself. By itself I don’t think anyone cares. It’s just a number of things he’s done on and off the field that, put together, signal immaturity.

It was interesting watching Drake Maye in the playoffs. He wasn’t great, but the calmness in his body language was just so much different than JJ’s. He seemed years older. If Maye’s ceiling is Tom Brady, JJ’s is maybe Brett Favre. Like with Favre, I don’t think you’re ever going to take that moxie out of him, just hope it evens out as he matures. Everything with JJ last year was too much. Too much youth, too much arm, too much amp, too much 9.

If the sign of a mature QB is a quiet mind, JJ’s mind is louder than my daughter’s stereo. He's got to find the right balance.

You're talking different kinds of personalities. Fiery or calm. JMO, I think some of you are mixing his locker room antics with his on the field ones: completely different. And a few posters threw in the ol' 'he needs to prove something first before he acts like that' which shows where its coming from: old school, pay your dues crap. There's plenty of fiery QBs in the NFL, including Tom Brady, Baker Mayfield and Peyton Manning, and that's only naming a few. Patrick Mahomes has been plenty demonstrative. What some fans have a problem with isn't anything other than he looked really bad for a stretch....and they decided he was a bust. Everything he did afterwards was just fodder for criticism and they couldn't look at him any other way. He does have a different persona on gameday and like other players have said, so do they. But he's always been this way. The lack of maturity things just doesn't ring true here, but I'm his 'Mom' here so the board is tired of me trying to show some positivity that his story isn't over yet. I'm still ringing his bell, but like I've done with every other player, if he sucks this year I'll be there to say so. 

To encapsulate where I currently am with JJ: love his upside still, excited to see him with more reps and fully expect him to be QB1 in September. I don't think any of that is unusual or beyond the pale. And as I've mentioned, if KOC think he's toast, we'll all know in the next 2 months by who he brings in to 'elevate the QB room'. Because no matter what anyone thinks, the team cannot have a repeat of last year at the position production-wise. I don't begrudge anyone any feelings about his play, but I really don't think he suffers from any lack of maturity. His teammates certainly don't think so.

MaroonBells wrote:


I agree on his upside. I'm still very excited to see what he eventually becomes. The ceiling is over the moon. But I don't fully expect him to be the starter in September. I hope he is, but if I'm honest with myself, he might be another year away. I think he's the kind of QB who needed a Jordan Love or Aaron Rodgers type on ramp and he didn't get it. The injury his rookie season really set him back. So what we saw last year was a rookie being thrown into the fire too soon. He developed some bad habits that need to be corrected this offseason...and maybe next.

Listen, I know I'm a little over-the-top on JJM, it doesn't escape me lol. And I'm sure a big eye roll for most of the board right now as we're all in 'prove it' mode. Long time until he throws another football in a regular season game to prove anything. 

No doubt you and others could be right: he might not be the starter come September. And I'll get behind whomever takes the spot from McCarthy if that happens. Certainly going to be interesting what transpires the next few months, including the Draft.