Just when it seemed that the Minnesota Vikings would become a worthy rival for the Green Bay Packers, the front office shot itself in the foot again. They had quarterbacks Daniel Jones and Sam Darnold in the building, and Aaron Rodgers reportedly wanted to play for them. Instead, they chose J.J. McCarthy.
The decision to commit to an unproven rookie who had missed his first year in the league with a major injury was bold, to say the least. It ultimately cost former Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah his job, and the ripple effect is still lingering.
However, it seems like the Vikings just can't learn from their mistakes. According to ESPN insider Adam Schefter (h/t @@NicholasMMiller), they've set their sights on Packers backup QB Malik Willis. Although Green Bay fans won't blame their Minnesota counterparts for the interest, that doesn't mean the full scope of the Vikings' alleged QB plans isn't hilarious.
Vikings' Questionable QB Plans Are Music to Packers Fans' Ears
Schefter went on to add that Willis would likely have to compete with McCarthy for the Vikings' QB1 job, meaning there's still a chance that the latter could open Week 1 as the starter. The Packers wouldn't mind that, of course, as McCarthy had more interceptions (12) than touchdown passes (11) in Year 2.
Meanwhile, Willis is coming off two impressive years as Jordan Love's backup. He went 2-1 in three starts and completed 78.7 of his passes for 972 yards and six touchdowns with no interceptions. He also scrambled 42 times for 261 yards and three touchdowns, and he had a passer rating of 134.6 in his two years in Green Bay.
As such, there's no way that Willis will sign with any team that doesn't offer him a clear path to be the starter. He's been tied to the likes of the Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns, and he would probably be at the top of the depth chart in both of those scenarios.
The Vikings, on the other hand, are sticking with a quarterback who went viral for a corny video and became the universal face of bad play on social media. McCarthy missed seven games after missing his entire rookie season, and he looked at least one year away from being even remotely close to a starting-caliber player, if ever.
Of course, it's always nice to watch divisional rivals struggle so much, especially when it's because of poor decisions and not simple misfortune. The Vikings had a Super Bowl-caliber roster, a great, creative head coach, and an all-world talent at wide receiver. They also had not one but two veteran starting quarterbacks willing to play for them.
A quick time jump has left Minnesota flirting with being at the bottom of the NFC North next season, all while Green Bay's outlook is on the rise.
Perhaps some teams are just doomed and cursed, or perhaps they've put themselves in those spots. Whatever the case, the Packers and their fans will gladly head into the 2026 campaign with Love under center, while the Vikings are set to deal with nothing but headaches.