That didn't take long. The Minnesota Vikings have reportedly named their starting quarterback for Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers, and it's not JJ McCarthy. The writing was on the wall all offseason long if Vikings fans were paying attention, as Minnesota signed Kyler Murray and almost immediately gave him reps with the starters. There are plenty of Vikings who should benefit from more stable QB play, but McCarthy is not one of them. In fact, this should open the floodgates for possible trade rumors involving the Michigan product who has not panned out as the Vikings had hoped.
Not all of this is on McCarthy. His NFL career got off to a brutal start thanks to a season-ending knee injury in his rookie campaign. Since then, McCarthy has been playing from behind, and he's still young enough to develop into a starting-caliber product in the right system. The good news for McCarthy (and the Vikings) is that there are plenty of QB-needy teams in the NFL in search of their franchise signal-caller, including the Jets, Panthers and Browns.
A Jets trade package for JJ McCarthy
Geno Smith is likely to start Week 1 for the New York Jets, but if they'd rather go the developmental route — or add another starting-caliber QB to the mix in case Smith falters for the second-straight season — McCarthy is available. Right now, the Jets don't have their true quarterback of the future on the roster. Adding McCarthy will not stop New York from selecting a quarterback in the coveted 2027 class, but it does give them options and could prevent the Jets from making a familiar mistake, and that's throwing a young quarterback into the fire.
Fourth-round picks don't have a high hit rate in the NFL. The Jets forfeiting a Day 3 picks for McCarthy, who is a former first rounder himself, could make the 2026 season a bit more exciting for a fanbase in dire need of some hope at the league's most important position.
What a Panthers trade for JJ McCarthy would look like
The Panthers need a reliable backup to Bryce Young, and that's not Kenny Pickett. Sure, Pickett has started his fair share of games in the NFL, but he was outplayed by Haynes King in the Panthers' first preseason game. That's not a good sign for what's to come.
Young is also smaller than most quarterbacks and, while he's managed to stay relatively healthy so far, it is more important for a team like the Panthers to employ a reliable backup than most. Say what you will of McCarthy's potential as a franchise-caliber quarterback, he should be able to handle a backup role and learn under Young and head coach Dave Canales. A fourth-round pick is a small price to pay for comfort, and the Panthers don't have that right now with Pickett and King behind their 5-10 starter.
Browns trade package for JJ McCarthy is complicated
A Browns trade for McCarthy is complicated by the number of young quarterbacks already on the roster. Deshaun Watson seems likely to start Week 1 for Cleveland, although Todd Monken has yet to make that official. Shedeur Sanders could be up for grabs if the Vikings wish to make this trade more interesting, but they already have Carson Wentz as a reliable backup should they deal McCarthy elsewhere.
This is where Gabriel comes in, who is trade bait in his own right. Gabriel started a handful of games last season and has even received some reps with the starters in training camp. Adding the Oregon product to the deal likely limits the Vikings return to some extent, which is why they'd receive a fifth rounder in exchange for McCarthy and a seventh. Still, more depth behind Murray and Wentz, both of whom are injury-prone, is never a bad thing.
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