6 Hypothetical Trades For J.J. McCarthy: Signing of Kyler Murray could mean his time with Minnesota Vikings is over

A J.J. McCarthy trade is certainly on the table, and it likely won’t be super fruitful.

Adam Holt, AJ Schulte, Brandon Little, Destin Adams, Rob Gregson, Tyler Forness, Wendell Ferreira

Mar 16, 2026 5:20 PM EDT

Jan 4, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) warms up prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Nobody expected the Minnesota Vikings to potentially be willing to trade quarterback J.J. McCarthy just two years after selecting him 10th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, but here we are.

One reason why the Vikings might be willing to trade McCarthy comes from a report from Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. They weren’t just wanting to sign Kyler Murray to a one-year deal, they explored signing him for a second year, which would also go through McCarthy’s rookie contract.

“And while Murray still has to win the job from McCarthy, what O’Connell said to Murray did stick with him—that he was the one guy on the market that they could see as a potential longer-range answer, rather than a one-year Band-Aid. The idea of growing with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Christian Darrisaw and O’Connell and his staff was already wildly attractive to begin with. The chance to, perhaps, put down roots only made it more so.”

It would be wild for a team to give up on a first-round pick quarterback so early, but it wouldn’t be unprecedented. The Arizona Cardinals gave up on Josh Rosen for Murray after one season, while the San Francisco 49ers forced Trey Lance to win a competition against Brock Purdy going into his third year, before trading him the next offseason.

It would be rather shocking to see McCarthy traded, but with Murray in the fold, it’s now a non-zero chance. What could he fetch for a trade? I got multiple offers from my co-workers at A to Z Sports and they have a wide variance.

Los Angeles Rams prepare for life after Matthew Stafford

The Rams send a conditional 2027 fifth-round pick (upgrades to a fourth-round pick with 30% of snaps played) to the Vikings for J.J. McCarthy

The Rams aren’t in any hurry to replace Matthew Stafford, but the team doesn’t have a viable option behind him right now and they’ve never shied away from taking swings where they can. Keep in mind that they tried to trade for Sam Howell before he was dealt to the Seahawks, so it’s clear that they aren’t afraid of a reclamation project…for the right price. If the Rams all in season goes their way, they won’t have a chance to pick a rookie QB at the top of the 1st round next season anyways, further kicking the QB can down the road. Why not take a swing and see if they can’t turn McCarthy’s career around like they did for Baker Mayfield? – AJ Schulte, A to Z Los Angeles

Cleveland Browns get a young quarterback in the building

The Browns send 2026 fifth-round pick (No. 146 overall), 2026 sixth-round pick (No. 206 via Bears) for QB J.J. McCarthy, 2026 seventh-round pick (No. 234 overall)

“The Browns don’t have an answer at the quarterback position until they do at this point and that’s been the theme for most of the last couple of decades. Deshaun Watson is going to get one more year on the team within his current contract returning from injury, and Shedeur Sanders is set to get a chance to compete for the starting job. Dillon Gabriel remains the No. 3 quarterback for now and the Browns want to make an addition to the room, but it just won’t be any free agent signing.

In what is a weak quarterback class, the Browns would be better off sending a pair of Day 3 picks to the Vikings for a 23-year-old McCarthy. Between injury and inconsistent play when he did get on the field, McCarthy looks to already be the odd man out with Kyler Murray in Minnesota. Andrew Berry loves a reclamation project and if he could hit on one at quarterback he would be praised forever in Cleveland. Todd Monken has a track record of success working with quarterbacks and McCarthy could benefit from the change. The Browns then let Watson, McCarthy, and Sanders battle it out for the 2026 starting job.” – Brandon Little, A to Z Cleveland

Jacksonville Jaguars get developmental backup behind Trevor Lawrence

The Jaguars send a 2026 fifth-round pick (No. 164 overall) to the Vikings for J.J. McCarthy

“Trevor Lawrence is the Jacksonville Jaguars franchise quarterback and that won’t change anytime soon, but a coaching staff with Liam Coen and Grant Udinski has proved to be capable of developing quarterbacks. In Jacksonville, McCarthy wouldn’t have the pressure he does in Minnesota to be a starter, so he would have more time to learn and adjust his game. Right now, the Jaguars backup quarterbacks are Nick Mullens and Carter Bradley, so there’s room for improvement and to get a player with a higher upside — that works both for the Jags to have a reliable backup, but also for potentially generating more capital down the road.

Former high draft picks like Baker Mayfield and Kenny Pickett have been traded for a similar value, so giving up a fifth-round pick is reasonable — especially because the Jaguars have two after sending running back Tank Bigsby to the Philadelphia Eagles.” – Wendell Ferreira, A to Z Green Bay

New York Jets land quarterback of the future behind Geno Smith

The Jets send 2026 fourth-round pick (No. 140 overall) to the Vikings for J.J. McCarthy and 2026 sixth-round pick (No. 196 overall)

“New York just brought back Geno Smith as a bridge quarterback for 2026. With that, I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibilities that they add another young option, too. No one truly believes Smith will hold that job for the foreseeable future. If the Jets are not interested in Alabama’s Ty Simpson in the 2026 NFL Draft, then McCarthy in this sort of deal may make the most sense as they continue this long-term rebuild. Brady Cook, nor Bailey Zappe, are backup options you must roster, either. Worth a swing for the Jets in this scenario.” Adam Holt, A to Z New Orleans

Arizona Cardinals essentially swap Kyler Murray for J.J. McCarthy

The Cardinals send 2026 fifth-round pick (No. 143 overall) and 2027 seventh-round pick to the Vikings for J.J. McCarthy and 2026 seventh-round pick (No. 235)

“The Cardinals’ quarterback room of Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew doesn’t generate a whole lot of excitement. What they need is to add a young high upside option that fans will at least be excited to watch in case next season falls off the rails. J.J. McCarthy hasn’t worked out in the NFL with the Vikings, but the talent that led him to be a first-round pick is in there, and if there’s a time to buy low on him, it’s now after the signing of Kyler Murray. So, a pick swap that will buy some excitement from the fan base, in this case, seems like a win in my opinion, even if he doesn’t become a starter in Arizona.” – Destin Adams, A to Z Indianapolis

Pittsburgh Steelers adds a second McCarthy to the team

The Steelers send 2026 fifth-round pick (No. 161 overall) to the Vikings for J.J. McCarthy

“As presently constructed, the Pittsburgh Steelers have two quarterbacks on their roster. Mason Rudolph and Will Howard will be joined by a third player at some point. Perhaps that’s Aaron Rodgers, maybe it’s a pick in April’s draft, or maybe it’s someone already in the NFL. We’re using the latter of those three possibilities today and entertaining the potential of J.J. McCarthy as a Pittsburgh Steeler.

Beyond the fact that he shares the same last name as the Steelers’ current HC, and it would set up a camp battle in Latrobe between former Ohio State and Michigan quarterbacks, McCarthy would immediately become the highest pedigreed signal caller in the current room. A former top-10 pick whom Jim Harbaugh called the greatest QB in the history of Michigan football, the bones of an NFL starter are still there. McCarthy needs his mechanics revamped and his confidence restored. I would be skeptical about that after leaving such a great mind in Kevin O’Connell, but Coach McCarthy has done a pretty good job with QBs in his own right. Because of that, I submit a late round flyer for the Steelers. McCarthy could be Josh Rosen, or he could be Sam Darnold, and only time will tell which category he belongs to.” – Rob Gregson, A to Z Pittsburgh

These trade offers would mean the Vikings are selling very low on J.J. McCarthy

If you are the Vikings, these are the kind of offers where you just need McCarthy out of the building for the sake of both parties. It’s not to say that he’s worth significantly more than what was offered here, but it could set a dangerous precedent for the Vikings to take such a low price. Plus, they still would have to add at least one quarterback. Ideally, the Vikings would be able to get a deal with conditions to give them a day-two pick.

As things sit, the best offer is the one sent by the Rams, as it could be a fourth-round pick in the expected loaded draft class of 2027. That’s worth more than anything offered in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Vikings would be wise to hold out for a better draft pick, because you never know if a team gets desperate with an injury.