J.J. McCarthy Trade Ideas: 5 hypothetical offers if Minnesota Vikings were to move on from their young quarterback
It’s never easy to admit that things aren’t working out with your top 10 selected quarterback, but the Vikings are there.
The Minnesota Vikings have officially named Kyler Murray the starting quarterback, and it’s rased a lot of questions about the future of J.J. McCarthy with the purple and gold. Head coach Kevin O’Connell made it clear that he wants to keep McCarthy around, but will he want to stay?
There is the interesting element of new general manager Nolan Teasley. Will he want to keep McCarthy around? Does he even think McCarthy can be a starting quarterback in the NFL? Those questions will continue to percolate, especially when it comes to a possible trade.
Who could be interested in a trade for J.J. McCarthy? There are some intriguing options out there.
5 hypothetical trade ideas for Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy
New York Jets
New York receives: QB J.J. McCarthy
Minnesota receives: QB Bailey Zappe
There are few teams in the NFL that have less clarity regarding the future of the quarterback position than the New York Jets. Geno Smith was acquired via trade this offseason, but he’s 35 years old and playing on a renegotiated, expiring deal. Behind him are backups and rookie Cade Klubnik, whom the Jets did invest a fourth-round pick in, but no one in that room screams franchise signal-caller.
Insert J.J. McCarthy into the mix, and perhaps that changes. He would immediately become the QB with the highest NFL Draft pedigree, and despite losing the QB battle to Kyler Murray, reports have said that McCarthy improved in some areas of his game. This is not a move that should prevent New York from taking a top-flight quarterback in April should they be picking that high, but some insurance with upside.
– Rob Gregson, A to Z Sports Pittsburgh beat writer.
Miami Dolphins
Miami receives: QB J.J. McCarthy
Minnesota receives: 2027 Miami Dolphins’ fifth-round pick
The Miami Dolphins appear to have a lot of faith in quarterback Malik Willis. But they’re a player-development driven group and team leadership has also preached about competition up and down the roster. ESPECIALLY at quarterback. Granted, Miami didn’t draft a quarterback this offseason after signing Willis.
So that makes them a team that I believe could be enticed by the idea of McCarthy. It sure sounds like Miami intends to give Malik Willis more than a single year behind center — but urgency and competition would ideally bring the best out of everyone. Given Willis’ compensation, McCarthy having multiple years on his deal at a cost-controlled rate makes him a strong “buy low” opportunity.
But the Dolphins would be playing “the game” here with an offer. McCarthy just lost his starting job before taking a snap this preseason. And even if the announcement was a formality, it’s still a mark on his ledger. The Dolphins have two fifth-round draft picks in the 2027 NFL Draft as things currently stand. They’re willing to offer (in this hypothetical) their own 2027 5th round draft choice for McCarthy.
– Kyle Crabbs, A to Z Sports Miami beat writer.
Cleveland Browns
Cleveland receives: QB J.J. McCarthy
Minnesota receives: QB Shedeur Sanders
Shedeur Sanders is currently competing for the Browns’ starting quarterback job, but there’s a world where he’s not on the roster in Week 1. To this point, it appears Deshaun Watson leads the race for the starting quarterback job over Sanders, with three preseason games left to be played. The Browns have also seen QB Dillon Gabriel have a solid training camp so far, and he looks like a player who can make it as a backup in this league potentially. Swapping Sanders for McCarthy makes sense for the Browns if they believe there’s more to get out of the former first-round pick than there is with Sanders.
Either way, the Browns would likely be taking a quarterback in 2027, but McCarthy would offer them another “swing” in the meantime. There’s a good chance Sanders doesn’t end up as a starting quarterback in this league. He is a fifth-round pick, after all. His first year in Cleveland has been rocky, with expectations placed on his shoulders likely coming too early. Going to Minnesota, where he knows he’s not going to be the starter thisbyear, and can continue to let the game slow down, could make sense for him.
– Brandon Little, A to Z Sports Cleveland beat writer.
Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis receives: QB J.J. McCarthy
Minnesota receives: QB Anthony Richardson, 2027 sixth-round pick
It’s clear that the Colts don’t want Anthony Richardson anymore, but maybe he can still be a positive trade asset for a fellow former first-round quarterback who didn’t pan out for his original team. Indy seems to be comfortable with Daniel Jones as the starter moving forward, but the backups beyond Richardson are Riley Leonard and Easton Stick. Therefore, trying to develop McCarthy under a different set of circumstances where he doesn’t have nearly as much pressure would make sense. The problem is that Chris Ballard wouldn’t want to part ways with significant draft capital for that. But a sixth-rounder to gain an extra year of rookie contract is a reasonable compensation.
– Wendell Ferreira, A to Z Sports Green Bay beat writer.
Los Angeles Chargers
Los Angeles receives: QB J.J. McCarthy
Minnesota receives: 2027 fourth-round pick
I mean, it’s easy to see why J.J. McCarthy and the Chargers make total sense. You don’t have to be an expert to connect the dots between him and his former coach, Jim Harbaugh.
I don’t think we need to spend a ton of time breaking down why it’s a good fit. Harbaugh knows McCarthy’s game in-and-out, is a run-first HC, and the Chargers have a solid offensive line. Those are the ingredients that helped McCarthy win a national title, so it makes sense to streamline that to the NFL level.
The trade package is where things get intriguing. Minnesota probably wants a significant offer due to McCarthy’s first-round pedigree. However, it’s hard to make sense of sending anything greater than a third-round pick, at most.
Especially when considering Justin Herbert is the Chargers’ QB of the present and future. McCarthy would be a backup for the next two years, outside of a Herbert injury.
– Evan Winter, A to Z Sports Tampa Bay beat writer.
Minnesota should select trade proposal from Indianapolis
It’s going to feel weird turning down the idea of getting a fourth-round pick for McCarthy to get a sixth-round pick and Richardson, but it’s very intriguing to pair O’Connell with that kind of potential. It’s even more so intriguing that O’Connell reportedly loved Richardson going into that process.
This trade also give the Vikings something they don’t have if they just take a pick for McCarthy: another quarterback in the room. Even though Richardson’s been spotty, swapping another quarterback for McCarthy makes some sense here. Will it work? Who knows, but it’s an option that will be important for a team in Minnesota that has dealt with massive injury issues at quarterback the last few years.
