If the Vikings move on from J.J. McCarthy, there are multiple teams that make sense for him
It’s no secret that J.J. McCarthy could be on the move, and there are teams that make sense for him to land.
The quarterback room for the Minnesota Vikings is one of the more interesting ones in the NFL.
When Kyler Murray was named the starting quarterback on August 11th, it created an interesting dynamic in the room. One thing that it created was an extra unknown with J.J. McCarthy.
Having your third-year first-round pick quarterback lose the starting job itself is a tough situation, but it’s more so about what came after the decision to name Murray the starter. McCarthy struggled massively over the last two weeks, including a brutal red-zone performance against the Baltimore Ravens.
It’s led to discussions about his future. Could the Vikings move on from McCarthy? It feels more likely now than it ever has been. We’ve explored the idea of a trade before, but what teams could be interested in general? I reached out to my co-workers at A to Z Sports, and three teams immediately came to mind.
New York Jets
The Jets are in a strange spot from a quarterback perspective. They brought in Geno Smith this offseason as a stopgap, while also drafting Cade Klubnik during the 2026 NFL Draft. They are also expected to be a major player for top signal caller in the 2027 NFL Draft.
However, this is a coaching staff who can’t afford to have their eyes set too firmly on 2027 and the future. Head coach Aaron Glenn is very much on the hot seat, making Smith vital for the team’s short term success. With that in mind, it wouldn’t be unreasonable that they try to find a developmental quarterback option in a different way. If this team is drafting early next April, it’s unlikely that Glenn and his staff will return.
That makes JJ McCarthy an intriguing investment. The perfect scenario is that Smith helps them win enough games in 2026 to preserve jobs. In the background, McCarthy can begin to develop for a shot to start in 2027.
–Ryan Roberts, A to Z Notre Dame
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins’ current answer at quarterback has 155 career pass attempts in four seasons. Yet with two years of working alongside Miami head coach Jeff Hafley and underneath the Dolphins’ GM, Jon-Eric Sullivan, there is some conviction here. But there’s also some unknown. When Sullivan took the job, he suggested this team will invest in quarterbacks until they definitively find an answer. And for as much as they like Willis, he’s not taken a single official snap behind center in Miami. So the unknown remains.
Miami’s backup quarterback situation is also, frankly, underwhelming. If Willis doesn’t pan out, cost-effective swings of the bat at quarterback could help Miami strike gold the same way Seattle once did with Russell Wilson in the draft. John Schneider, of course, is another Ron Wolf acolyte, just like Sullivan. Reclamation quarterbacks are all the rage right now and Miami “buying low” on a young quarterback in McCarthy could get some fresh juice and competition behind Willis, while giving them some physical upside that the current backups of Quinn Ewers and Cam Miller don’t have.
–Kyle Crabbs, A to Z Miami
Los Angeles Chargers
Few teams in the National Football League make more sense for J.J. McCarthy’s future than the Los Angeles Chargers. For one, backups Trey Lance and DJ Uiagalelei are both around the same age as McCarthy and on similar paths in their career. McCarthy could come in and set up a three-way, level competition to be Justin Herbert’s backup.
But more importantly, joining the Chargers would reunite McCarthy with his former head coach at Michigan, Jim Harbaugh, whom he won a national championship under. If anyone is going to get the most out of the young QB, it’s probably going to be the coach who had him playing the best ball of his career. Harbaugh lauded McCarthy during the pre-draft process, and I would assume the two still have a strong relationship.
–Rob Gregson, A to Z Pittsburgh
