The Minnesota Vikings are staring down a pivotal offseason, and once again, the question under center looms large. After a turbulent 2025 campaign that saw instability at the quarterback position derail any hopes of a deep playoff run, head coach Kevin O’Connell and the front office are back at the drawing board.
The team needs answers-fast. But the solution might not be to play it safe.
In fact, it might be time for the Vikings to take another big swing.
J.J. McCarthy showed flashes last season, but let’s not pretend the situation is resolved.
The Vikings are expected to bring in real competition-or possibly a full-on replacement-for the young quarterback. And while the list of potential options is long, ranging from proven stars like Kyler Murray and Joe Burrow to aging veterans like Aaron Rodgers, there’s one name that checks a surprising number of boxes: Anthony Richardson.
Yes, that Anthony Richardson.
The former fourth-overall pick has had a rocky start to his NFL career. His completion percentage is even lower than McCarthy’s.
He once removed himself from a game due to exhaustion. And he couldn’t win a job over 40-year-old Joe Flacco.
On paper, it’s not a resume that screams “franchise quarterback.” But dig deeper, and there’s real upside here-upside that could make a lot of sense for Minnesota.
For starters, Richardson wouldn’t break the bank. The Colts are reportedly re-upping with Daniel Jones, which opens the door for a potential trade.
And given Richardson’s struggles, the cost to acquire him might be as low as a Day 3 draft pick. His 2026 cap hit?
A manageable $10.8 million. That’s a bargain compared to the price tag on a Burrow or Lamar Jackson, especially for a Vikings team that needs to clear roughly $50 million just to get under the salary cap.
Now, if Richardson pans out, he’ll get expensive down the line-no question. But that’s a good problem to have.
It means he’s producing. And after years of watching talented quarterbacks walk out the door, Minnesota might be ready to invest in a long-term answer.
Could they go the veteran route instead? Sure.
Rodgers might be willing to sign a team-friendly deal. But he just turned 42 and ranked 29th among quarterbacks by Pro Football Focus last season.
He’s still capable of running an offense, but the ceiling is low, and the clock is ticking. Other free agents like Russell Wilson, Joe Flacco, and even a potential return for Kirk Cousins offer more of the same: short-term stability with limited upside.
We’ve seen this movie before, and it usually ends with a first-round playoff exit and more questions than answers.
Richardson, on the other hand, brings a different kind of intrigue. He’s raw, no doubt.
His mechanics need work, and he’s still learning how to operate an NFL offense on a down-to-down basis. That 47.7% completion rate in 2024 is a red flag.
But the tools that made him a top-five pick haven’t gone anywhere. He’s still just 23 years old, and if there’s a coach equipped to handle a developmental project like this, it’s O’Connell-who’s already deep into molding McCarthy.
And let’s not forget: the Vikings have a recent history of turning around underwhelming quarterback careers. Sam Darnold, for example, was widely written off before finding success in Minnesota.
Through his first six seasons, Darnold completed just 59% of his passes with a 21-35 record and a 63-56 TD-to-INT ratio. Not exactly inspiring.
But with the right coaching and system, he became a serviceable starter. Richardson may not follow that same trajectory, but he offers even more raw potential to work with.
He’s the kind of clay a coach dreams of sculpting.
Of course, there’s a real chance this doesn’t work out. Richardson could flame out entirely, and the Vikings could be left scrambling again.
But that’s where McCarthy comes back into the picture. He’s still developing, and he ended 2025 on a high note, winning six of his 10 starts-including victories over division rivals Detroit and Chicago-and finishing the season on a four-game win streak.
There’s still a very real possibility that McCarthy figures it out and wins the job outright.
In that sense, bringing in Richardson isn’t about replacing McCarthy-it’s about raising the floor and the ceiling of the quarterback room. It’s about creating competition, adding upside, and giving O’Connell two young, talented passers to work with instead of one.
And if neither pans out? Well, that’s a risk the Vikings may have to take.
Because the alternative-rolling the dice on another aging vet and hoping for a miracle-has already played out, and it hasn’t gotten them where they want to go.
The Vikings have been the poster child for playing it safe at quarterback. Kirk Cousins gave them steady numbers and regular-season wins, but the deep playoff runs never came. Now, with the window still open and the roster in need of a spark, it might be time to embrace the unknown.
Anthony Richardson is a gamble. But he’s the kind of gamble that could pay off in a big way. And if nothing else, he gives Minnesota a shot at something they haven’t had in a while: a true difference-maker at the most important position in sports.