Longshot Vikings trade idea reverses course entirely on J.J. McCarthy

The Minnesota Vikings hoped they were drafting a franchise quarterback when they chose J.J. McCarthy 10th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Michigan.

Through two seasons, not so much.

McCarthy missed his entire rookie regular season with injury.

Then he had a bunch more injuries in 2025, coupled with a lot of accuracy problems.

He has made just 10 starts, but what if the Vikings moved on? ESPN's Aaron Schatz points out in a new article on Wednesday that while it's almost certainly not going to happen, McCarthy could probably benefit from a fresh start.

"This is likely never going to happen, because it would be ridiculous for the Vikings to unload a player who still has first-round upside after 10 starts," Schatz writes. "However, a fresh start for McCarthy with a different organization might be the best thing for his career. Yes, you want a young quarterback to be with an offensive mind such as Minnesota coach Kevin O'Connell for the purposes of his development. However, things went so badly for the Vikings with McCarthy last season that it might be best to get him out of the shadow of Super Bowl winner Sam Darnold."

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The expectation heading into this offseason is that the Vikings will at least bring in another quarterback to serve as potential competition for McCarthy in camp.

One name that has been floated a lot: Former Vikings QB Kirk Cousins.

Regardless of who it is, the Vikings need to get the quarterback position right. They have such a talented roster. They can't afford subpar QB play again in 2026.

McCarthy won't have a long leash at this point. The Vikings need better from the quarterback spot.

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