A Vikings-Eagles trade to take advantage of Philly’s Kenny Pickett mistake

When Minnesota Vikings QB JJ McCarthy went down with a season-ending knee injury this preseason, head coach Kevin O'Connell all but ended the team's quarterback competition. Sam Darnold will start, as was the plan all along. Heck, O'Connell even has confidence in Nick Mullens, the veteran behind Darnold.

“I think guys are pretty confident in Sam Darnold,” O’Connell told reporters. “I do. When Nick Mullens got his opportunities last year, we were very explosive as an offense. His ability to run the show and really highlight a lot of different aspects of our offense with his understanding is something. That’s why Nick’s here. He’s a guy we really respect and respect his prep and his experience.”

Minnesota played quarterback roulette just last season, when Kirk Cousins suffered his own season-ending injury. They don't want to be in a similar position in just a few weeks, so it's in their best interest to build up their depth chart with as many confident signal-callers as possible.

The Vikings could replace one rookie quarterback with a second-year passer

Speaking of quarterback depth, the Eagles took a swing to improve their depth chart this offseason, acquiring former Steelers first-round pick Kenny Pickett. Pickett grew up an Eagles fan and was more than willing to play behind Jalen Hurts, as he badly wanted out of Pittsburgh.

Yet, Pickett hasn't played well so far this preseason. Rather, there's a chance he could drop to QB3 behind Tanner McKee, a second-year player out of Stanford, or be cut altogether. The Eagles cannot have this since they invested draft capital to acquire Pickett in the first place. So, why not swap with the Vikings?

McKee would provide the Vikings with a quarterback on the upswing, and arguably a better option than Mullens or Jared Hall, who was also thrust into action in 2023. The Eagles, on the other end, get a 2025 fifth-round selection, which is a higher grade of pick than they used to select McKee in the first place.

Philadelphia's return on investment is impressive in this case, but we should come to expect nothing less from Howie Roseman. The Vikings are desperate for quarterback help, regardless of what O'Connell says in public.