J.J. McCarthy trade destinations Vikings must consider if they sign Kyler Murray

The Minnesota Vikings had a relatively quiet start to NFL free agency, largely spending their time cleaning up the cap sheet and making a few defensive signings on the margins. But the big question of the team's offseason appears to be nearing an answer, as reports continue to position Minnesota as the overwhelming favorite to sign newly released quarterback Kyler Murray.

At this point, it seems like a matter of when rather than if Murray signs with the Vikings. And if that is indeed the case, head coach Kevin O'Connell and the front office are going to have a very important decision to make on 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy.

The 23-year-old passer missed his entire rookie season due to a torn meniscus, and his 2025 campaign came up well short of impressive (1,632 yards, 11 TDs, 12 INTs in 10 games). The offseason is long and it's likely O'Connell won't be quick to discard the Michigan product once Murray arrives in Minneapolis. But it's hard to read the interest in Murray — rather than a lesser option like, say, Geno Smith, who would be more camp competition than presumptive starter — as anything but a vote of no confidence in McCarthy.

You can never have too much quarterback depth, of course. But if McCarthy is no longer in the team's short- or long-term plans, letting him wither on the depth chart doesn't make a ton of sense. He's two years removed from being a consensus first-round talent, after all, and plenty of QB-needy teams would figure to be interested in taking a swing

Pittsburgh Steelers

New head coach Mike McCarthy needs to be honest with himself: Aaron Rodgers isn't the solution this team needs (even if he does opt to return), and backups Will Howard and Mason Rudolph haven't shown they are long-term starter material either. J.J. McCarthy, who admittedly comes with his own red flags, would still serve as better option under center than either of those two for the time being. The Steelers probably won't give up a ton of draft capital, but it's possible they could send Howard or a Day 2 pick in the theoretical exchange.

Pittsburgh would then have itself a true QB competition, and that would be the best thing for Mike McCarthy to help establish his offense. Rather than rolling the dice with Howard or Rudolph in a transition year, he'd be bringing in a high-upside starter in the former Vikings QB and hopefully bestow some Rodgers-era wisdom on him to fix his issues. And if it doesn't work, they'll be in solid position to take a quarterback from the far deeper 2027 draft class.

Cleveland Browns

Sure, Cleveland has historically been where quarterbacks go to see their careers die. But this time it could be different: Deshaun Watson's days are numbered, and we have yet to figure out if Dillon Gabriel (certainly not) or Shedeur Sanders (almost certainy not) are the franchise's future. Even if the Browns are leaning toward the latter option, McCarthy should be worth a look. He was a better prospect than Sanders coming out of college, and this team needs to accrue all the QB talent it can reasonably get its hands on.

McCarthy displays some similarities with former Browns QB Baker Mayfield in terms of his mobility and arm talent. That might actually be attractive to Cleveland, as he would come without the antics that drove the two apart years ago (well, hopefully at least). I'd be surprised if Minnesota wouldn't be interested in acquiring Gabriel for McCarthy (and swapping some picks) considering Murray's backup would be former UDFA Max Brosmer.

New York Jets

Yes, they just traded for a new/old starter in Geno Smith, and they still have Justin Fields on the roster costing $23 million against the cap. But New York may still be open to some sort of swap: Smith is 35 and clearly on the last legs of his career, so he's not going to be New York's long-term solution at the position. Fields has a year left on his two-year deal for which the Jets front office already appears to have buyer's remorse.

Again, Murray's backup is slated to be Brosmer at the moment, who didn't inspire any confidence when starting in McCarthy's absence last season (four interceptions in a single start).The two teams could work out a deal in which the Jets hold on to most of Fields' cap hit but send him the other way in exchange for McCarthy and a valuable pick or two. That way, once Smith hangs it up (or, more likely, gets benched) New York has a young QB to develop going forward and Minnesota has a serviceable backup. It's the Jets, we've seen weirder trades before.

Los Angeles Chargers

Bear with me here. I'm not advocating for Justin Herbert to be benched or moved in any way, shape or form. But look at the Chargers' depth chart: DJ Uiagalelei is the only other passer on the roster at the moment, and college football fans will be the first to warn that you don't want him starting for your team unless you're truly desperate. McCarthy would be a solid backup for Herbert, and he'd have the opportunity to develop under his former college coach in Jim Harbaugh.

The two won the 2024 national championship together, and it would be reasonable to say McCarthy thrived under Harbaugh's tutelage. McCarthy wouldn't start unless Herbert went down with injury, but 1) that's not out of the realm of possibility given the state of this offensive line and 2) as a reclamation project, he's a worthy investment. Herbert has three more years left on his contract until a potential team out in 2029, and if he shows serious regression or just can't seem to get over the playoff hump, Harbaugh has a plan B to save not only his job but potentially save the franchise money. Worst case, this could end up like the Mac Jones situation in San Francisco, where a rehabilitated former first-round QB suddenly find himself with a robust trade market.