The Vikings appear set to undergo a roster overhaul that could see them bring in a veteran quarterback to compete with J.J. McCarthy for the starting job.
The Minnesota Vikings appear set to undergo a roster overhaul that could see them bring in a veteran quarterback to compete with J.J. McCarthy for the starting job in 2026. Tua Tagovailoa , Kyler Murray , Geno Smith and Kirk Cousins are all being considered by the Vikings as a possible addition to their quarterback room this offseason, ESPN reported Sunday.
Minnesota is also planning to move on from running back Aaron Jones and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave this offseason, according to ESPN. Cousins is the only quarterback in that group that's set to become a free agent as of Sunday. The Falcons said last week that they will release Cousins when the new league year begins on March 11. Of course, Cousins previously played in Minnesota before signing with Atlanta in 2024. He enjoyed a decent amount of success in his six seasons with the Vikings, playing under Minnesota head coach Kevin O'Connell for two of those years. He helped the Vikings make the playoffs in 2022 before an Achilles tear ended his 2023 season early. Tagovailoa, Murray and Smith, meanwhile, are all candidates to be cut or traded in the coming weeks. Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan suggested that the team was open to all options with Tagovailoa when he met with reporters at the combine this past week, including a release. If Tagovailoa is cut, the Dolphins could potentially take on a record $99.2 million dead cap hit, depending on when they release him. Murray is seeking to be cut by the Cardinals this offseason, a league source told FOX Sports' Ralph Vacchiano and Henry McKenna this past week. The Cardinals have also 'grown frustrated' with Murray, a team source told Vacchiano and McKenna. Finally, Smith appears to be on the outs in Las Vegas with Klint Kubiak taking over as head coach and the team presumably taking Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Of those four quarterbacks, Cousins might have the strongest season in 2025. He went 5-3 as a starter, throwing for 1,721 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. Tagovailoa threw for 2,660 yards, 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions before getting benched for the final three games of the season. Murray threw for 951 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions to go with 173 rushing yards and a rushing score in five games before suffering a foot injury. Smith led the league in interceptions to go with 3,025 passing yards and 19 passing touchdowns in 15 games. As for Jones and Hargrave, Minnesota will save over $18 million by releasing the two veterans. They could still reportedly trade the two players, though. Jones rushed for 548 yards in 2025, which was the second-fewest he's had in his nine-year career. His 4.2 yards per attempt were also the second-fewest of his career. Jones also had two rushing touchdowns, 199 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown last season. Hargrave had 52 total tackles and 3.5 sacks this past season. He also had 31 total pressures, per Pro Football Focus, as he was in the first year of a two-year, $30 million deal.
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