Vikings $21 million trade candidate could draw interest from Steelers, Rams, Jets

The Minnesota Vikings' quarterback situation will headline the franchise's offseason in 2026, as J.J. McCarthy didn't do enough to establish himself as the signal-caller of the future in 2025.

Though the Vikings are expected to retain McCarthy for the 2026 season and add some veteran competition for the Michigan product, ESPN's Aaron Schatz believes Minnesota should just move on from the young quarterback.

"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," Schatz said.

If the Vikings cut ties with McCarthy after his technical rookie season, as he missed the entire 2024 campaign due to knee surgery, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Rams, and New York Jets should have interest in the former No. 10 overall pick.

Pittsburgh will likely have Aaron Rodgers back under center in 2026, but taking a flyer on McCarthy, who could develop into Rodgers' eventual replacement, would be a savvy move by general manager Omar Khan.

Los Angeles would be a wild-card destination for McCarthy. Landing with the Rams would give McCarthy time to develop behind an MVP quarterback in Matthew Stafford, and being in Sean McVay's offense could unlock his potential as a dual-threat signal-caller.

New York will be back in the quarterback market with Justin Fields failing in 2025. Trading a late-round pick for McCarthy to be the 2026 starter could end up being a masterful move from the Jets, as the 23-year-old still has high potential and immense arm talent despite a young rookie year.

McCarthy will likely remain with the Vikings, but if they end up trading him, the Steelers, Rams, and Jets make sense as possible landing spots.

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