The Miami Dolphins have a quarterback problem, and the Minnesota Vikings might be holding the simplest fix.
Miami already dealt Quinn Ewers to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday, leaving Cam Miller and Mark Gronkowski behind Malik Willis. That’s a shaky setup at best, especially with neither Miller nor Gronkowski having thrown an NFL pass and, as David Furones of the Sun Sentinel reported, neither looking like they belong on a 53-man roster.
NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe expects Miami to go hunting for a new QB2, and that’s where Minnesota enters the picture.
The name to watch is J.J. McCarthy.
With the 53-man roster deadline arriving Sunday, Aug. 30, McCarthy could be the odd man out in Minnesota.
He hasn’t taken a step forward this offseason, and he not only lost the starting competition to Kyler Murray, he may not even hold the backup job. The Athletic’s Alec Lewis has McCarthy missing the cut altogether, with Carson Wentz beating him out for the reserve role.
For Miami, that makes McCarthy a logical target. The former No. 10 overall pick would give the Dolphins a steadier option behind Willis, and he also offers something else: another young quarterback to develop as they keep looking for a possible answer down the road.
The best part for Miami is the price. If Minnesota is indeed ready to move on, McCarthy shouldn’t cost much. A late Day 3 pick could be enough to get it done, which is exactly why a Dolphins-Vikings deal makes sense here.
In Other News...
Vikings May Be Ready To Cut Ties With Familiar Kwesi Picks
With roster cuts looming, the Vikings are facing a familiar kind of evaluation: sorting through players tied to former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and deciding which ones still fit the plan. The list is not long, but it is notable, with J.J. McCarthy and Walter Rouse among the names being weighed as Minnesota trims down and tries to sharpen the edges of the roster.
For the current regime, the question is less about where those players were drafted than whether they can justify a spot now. The team has not gotten much return from Adofo-Mensahs draft classes, and these final decisions are another sign that the Vikings are willing to move on if performance and roster math point in that direction. One more familiar name could be caught in the same squeeze before the deadline arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings End Preseason With One Problem Fans Cant Ignore
The Vikings closed the preseason with a 34-6 loss to the Broncos, and the game only deepened the sense that the roster still has a sore spot to address before the real games begin. Denvers quarterbacks Sam Ehlinger and Jarrett Stidham moved the offense with too much ease, while Minnesota settled for field goals and never found the end zone for the second straight game.
Jacob Thomas injury added another uneasy note to a night that already felt more like a warning than a tuneup. With the preseason now in the books, the Vikings head toward Week 1 carrying a defense that was too easy to move and an offense that still has to find a sharper finish. [Read more 🡒]
Kirk Cousins Landed In The Same QB Problem He Left Minnesota For
Kirk Cousins appears to be in familiar territory again as he settles into his first offseason with the Raiders. He is viewed as the favorite to open the season as Las Vegas starting quarterback, but head coach Klint Kubiak has stopped short of officially naming him the guy, leaving the door open in a situation Cousins knows well from his time in Minnesota.
Cousins left the Vikings after it became clear the team wanted a path to a younger successor, then found a similar setup with the Falcons, where he also had to contend with a younger quarterback pushing for the job. Now on a two-year deal with the Raiders, he is once again being linked to a competition, this time with rookie Fernando Mendoza in the mix as the team sorts out its future under center. [Read more 🡒]