“I think there has to be (competition at quarterback),” O’Connell said. “I think that’s what’s going to make everybody better in this room. That’s what’s going to make our whole offense thrive in this contest.”
O’Connell added that he “absolutely” wants a competitive QB situation in offseason workouts, but declined to say at this point what that might look like — evenly split reps, McCarthy getting the bulk of the work, etc.
Despite the need for competition this offseason, KOC liked what he saw from McCarthy down the lane and believes a deeper QB room would only “enhance” his development.
“JJ, I was really encouraged by the type of football he started playing in the second half of the season and finished the way he did,” O’Connell said. “We spend a lot of time talking about what the amendment actually was, and I think we all tried to have a mindset to get it done and however we could create it, we started to see a little bit of that show up. We saw some explosive things show up.”
There is little question that the Vikings need a reliable veteran to buffer McCarthy. There was talk of bringing back Sam Darnold last season, but he found a home and a bigger deal in Seattle. Minnesota also tried to keep Daniel Jones, who chose Indianapolis. When the Sam Howell trade fell by the wayside, that left the Vikes with Wentz and Brosmer.
The veteran free agent market will be littered with the likes of Marcus Mariota, Russell Wilson, Jimmy Garoppolo and Kenny Pickett. One potential name to watch: Kirk Cousins, the former Vikings QB who re-signed in Atlanta, making him a likely free agent this offseason.