NFL
Geno Smith Attracts Vikings Interest; Jimmy Garoppolo Poised for Arizona Move
Seattle Seahawks v Arizona Cardinals by Norm Hall | Getty Images
With NFL free-agency beginning in earnest next week, the market for borderline starting quarterback options is taking place according to league sources, and some preferences are becoming more clear than others.
Minnesota, with youngster JJ McCarthy’s early returns creating major pause in the organization, continues to look at more veteran options who have been starting games recently and offer a very different resume than what McCarthy provides.
Former Raiders and Seahawks starter Geno Smith continues to garner interest from the team, sources said, and while former Vikings starter Kirk Cousins and others are also options, several individuals involved in quarterback negotiations believed there was a strong chance Smith and Minnesota were a match.
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Longtime Arizona starter Kyler Murray would prefer to land with Minnesota, according to sources, knowing that he will be on a one-year prove-it contract after failing with the Cardinals since being selected first-overall.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell is seen as a quarterback whisperer and was lauded for helping revitalize the career of Sam Darnold, who parlayed one year with the Vikings into a big free agent deal and Super Bowl win with the Seahawks.
But league sources indicated the Jets appeared to be the team most desperate for Murray’s services and they could also offer an unmitigated path to being their immediate starting quarterback.
The Cardinals are getting offers on veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett as well, and have identified former 49ers Super Bowl quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo as their top choice to join their quarterback room.
Garoppolo worked with rookie head coach Mike LaFleur with the Rams and understands his system and verbiage and has already played for two of the other teams in the NFC West, very familiar with the division. Injuries derailed Garoppolo’s career but Arizona is a compelling spot for him for a multitude of reasons, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.
The Rams remain very interested in bringing the veteran back for 2026 as well, league sources said.
La Canfora has covered over 20 Super Bowls and League Meetings and NFL drafts, building a wide network of sources throughout all aspects of the game. He was an award winning print journalist as well, working at The Detroit Free Press and The Baltimore Sun prior to his first stint at The Washington Post. He has covered sporting events around the world, including two Winter Olympics and all of the 2006 World Cup. He attended his first NFL game in 1978, and would soon kindle what has become a lifelong love and appreciation of the sport. La Canfora is also a professional handicapper, specializing in the NFL, creating a daily sports wagering game show - "Wanna Bet?" He also hosts nationally broadcast NFL radio shows in the US, as well as a daily sports radio show in his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland.