Justin Jefferson wants this quarterback to start for Vikings in 2026 amid J.J. McCarthy chatter

Throughout December, stories suggested that the Minnesota Vikings will likely bring in competition for quarterback J.J. McCarthy in 2026 after the second-year pro endured a frustrating and inconsistent season. 

While speaking with reporters on Thursday, Vikings star wide receiver Justin Jefferson insisted that he would "love to have" McCarthy back as the club's QB1 this coming September. 

Justin Jefferson campaigns for Vikings to stick with J.J. McCarthy

"That's not my job," Jefferson said about roster decisions that will be made during the offseason, per Kevin Seifert of ESPN. "[But] of course I would love for him to be here. Of course, I would love for him to be the quarterback. Especially off this year. I feel like he needs to show everybody and prove to everybody that he is that top-tier quarterback. So I would love to have him. I would love to work with him and show everybody that he is that No. 1 guy."

A 2024 first-round draft selection, McCarthy spent his rookie season recovering from a full meniscus repair. Injuries then limited him to just nine starts across the first 17 weeks of the ongoing campaign, and he produced a mixed bag of results as the Vikings won eight of 16 games. 

Pro Football Reference stats show that McCarthy would be ranked last in the league with a 57.3 percent completion percentage and a 71.2 passer rating if he were among qualified players. His 33.4 adjusted QBR would have him ranked 31st out of 32 signal-callers. 

Over nine games, McCarthy tallied 11 touchdown passes and a whopping 12 interceptions. 

What Justin Jefferson wants to change about himself after frustrating season

There were times during games when Jefferson was unable to hide his frustration while on the sidelines. On Thursday, he indicated that he expects better from himself as a team leader.

"I had to learn myself how to be patient, how to not really show my emotions, to lead as a captain of this team," Jefferson added during his comments. "And there are definitely things I can take from this year going forward. But I would say going forward, requiring more for everybody. Having this type of season, we ain't trying to have this type of season again."

The Vikings will end the campaign with a home game versus the Green Bay Packers (9-6-1) this coming Sunday.