Favorites emerging in Vikings' search for J.J. McCarthy competition?

The Minnesota Vikings didn't need much time to realize they may have made a mistake.

Committing to J.J. McCarthy made sense at the time, but not having a reliable veteran backup in place came back to haunt them last season.

Now, with GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah no longer in the picture, they might be ready to right that wrong.

According to ESPN insider Dan Graziano, the Vikings will be extremely active in the quarterback market this offseason, with Kyler Murray and Geno Smith as their top potential candidates.

The Vikings will dig deep in the quarterback market 

"The odd quarterback landscape of this offseason makes it difficult to predict where the Vikings land, but if and when someone such as Geno Smith or Kyler Murray gets cut, I could see Minnesota pursuing that kind of passer on a low-cost, one-year prove-it deal," Graziano wrote. 

Of course, both of those players still need to be released first, and while that's very much on the table, it won't be official until it actually happens.

Considering that, Graziano also floated older names like Joe Flacco, Kirk Cousins and even Aaron Rodgers. If none of those are available, they might pivot to unproven younger players like Anthony Richardson, Tanner McKee or Davis Mills, per the report.

Whatever the case, one thing's for sure: They're having serious doubts about McCarthy after a first year as a starter plagued by freak injuries and erratic play.

The Vikings have a Super Bowl-caliber roster and a budding star as their head coach, so failing to make the playoffs last season has to be viewed as unacceptable.