What better way to spend the week of the NFL trade deadline than to overreact to what transpired this past weekend. That’s right, quarterbacks are at the forefront of this week's overreactions, with J.J. McCarthy and Tua Tagovailoa reminding us they’re overrated and teams like the Cincinnati Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs, once considered AFC contenders, realizing they have bigger problems to solve.
The trade deadline could make or break several teams, some searching for one last piece to complete a playoff push, others ready to hit reset and rebuild. Here are four overreactions that could shape those decisions after Week 9.
The Vikings can’t keep pretending J.J. McCarthy is the answer
Trade deadline fix: Minnesota needs to explore a veteran QB stopgap
Don’t let the fourth quarter heroics cloud your judgement: J.J. McCarthy just isn’t getting it done in Minnesota. The Vikings are struggling to get consistent quarterback play, and truthfully, they might need to turn to another option if they want to remain contenders in the NFC. McCarthy doesn’t look great, no matter how you frame it.
Sure, he might look fine in the fourth quarter, but that isn’t enough to improve the Vikings' confidence in him. That’s why a deadline move for a short term replacement might be worth it. The best replacements at this point would be Russell Wilson and maybe Jameis Winston. Carson Wentz arguably played better than McCarthy has this season.
McCarthy could ultimately improve in his first official season as an NFL quarterback after missing all of last season, but right now, he’s just not moving the needle. They were fortunate enough to get the win over Detroit on Sunday, but good luck when it comes to McCarthy will run out soon enough.
The Chiefs’ offensive line is breaking their dynasty
Trade deadline fix: Find protection for Patrick Mahomes, fast
Kansas City has an offensive line problem, and the Buffalo Bills couldn’t help but exploit it on Sunday. Until they get Patrick Mahomes some help upfront, it doesn’t matter how healthy they are and what their skill players do. Mahomes was sacked three times in the 28-21 loss, but the 15 quarterback hits tell another story.
The Chiefs' offensive line has largely been the biggest problem with this team for the past few seasons now. They have failed to play consistently, and Mahomes leading the team in rushing through the early part of the season is proof they need some serious work. The Chiefs have to be aggressive in trying to land a tackle or even a guard at this point. They can’t afford to let this crippling offensive line continue to play like this and think they’ll return to the Super Bowl for a fourth-straight season.
The Bengals’ defense is beyond saving
Trade deadline fix: Become sellers and reset for 2026
I’m not saying the Cincinnati Bengals need to get rid of everybody, but it’s time to purge this defense once and for all and start to actually rebuild. There’s no reason to be taking the same core of this defense into the 2026 season. They need to lower the asking price on Trey Hendrickson and deal him instead of getting nothing in return for him. They should also consider letting Jordan Battle and/or Geno Stone go by Tuesday, as well as possibly Cam Taylor-Britt.
The few defenders playing well shouldn’t be off-limits at the deadline. Logan Wilson and the rookies can stay as building blocks, but it’s time to move on from the rest and see what value the Bengals can get in return.
The Bengals have given up at least 27 points in every game this season except for one, which was against the Cleveland Browns, a team that’s scored more than 17 points just once all season. They also have given up at least 39 points in the past two games (while scoring 38 and 42 points and losing both of those games).
This defense is as bad as it gets and the blame extends beyond the players to Duke Tobin, the defensive staff and Zac Taylor. Major changes are needed, starting with using the trade deadline to move pieces and stock up for next season.
The Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa era is over
Trade deadline fix: Start testing options for a new franchise QB
At this point, the Miami Dolphins should look to trade for any quarterback with any sort of potential just to see if they need to use their presumable top five pick on a quarterback in April’s draft. This team is bad and Tua Tagovailoa is primarily to blame for that. He’s not the answer they need him to be, which is why every option should be in play.
I don’t know if it’s worth shipping Tagovailoa within the next day, but it’s certainly worth sending him on his way after the season, especially when the price could be a bit higher than it is now. Either way, they have Zach Wilson and Quinn Ewers in line in the interim and whomever they think would be a fun experiment for the second half of the season.