It’s no secret that Minnesota’s JJ McCarthy experiment may end before it reaches the halfway point of its expected lifespan.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell doubled down, maybe even tripled down on the former Michigan Wolverine quarterback last season as he cleared every path necessary to give the youngster confidence as the main man for the Vikings.
Sam Darnold, who led Minnesota to a 14-3 record, was given the farewell salute and then signed with the Seattle Seahawks, only to replicate his regular-season record with the Vikings but win the Super Bowl in his first year with his new team.
While that’s not the main reason why the Vikings looked elsewhere for a more reliable signal-caller in 2026, it didn’t help matters for McCarthy, who faced pushback from the opening second of the season to his final ball movement of the campaign.
When he wasn’t out injured, McCarthy struggled with unforced errors, poor pocket presence and a tendency to fold under any pressure.
While the Vikings don’t need to trade McCarthy, the team could do so before or during the upcoming NFL Draft.
Outside of projected No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza of Indiana, there are no slots for another QB to be taken in the first round.
But with a slew of teams needing someone under center for next season or for the future, this opens the door for the Vikings to potentially salvage McCarthy’s signing by getting draft capital back for him, even if it’s nothing luxurious.
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At the top of the list, the Los Angeles Rams and Sean McVay could be interested in talking to his former offensive coordinator, O’Connell, to land McCarthy. McVay has already proven in Jared Goff that he can turn a perceived failure into a valuable starter, so why not the former College Football Playoff winner?
McCarthy, who just turned 23, could sit behind reigning MVP Matthew Stafford for a year or two before taking over.
Another similar fit could be the Pittsburgh Steelers with new head coach Mike McCarthy (no relation). The Steelers are staring down the barrel of a potential rebuild, and taking a chance on the 23-year-old QB could be a gamble worth taking.
They’re not high enough in the pecking order to be chasing maybe even the second- or third-best QB in an already shallow signal-caller NFL Draft, so a trade with the Vikings could make sense.
Last time, well, it’s the Cleveland Browns. Sure, they already have 45 QBs on their roster and signed two rookies last season, but why not add more to the team? They have two first-round draft picks and could use these final selections to acquire McCarthy from Minnesota.
Deshaun Watson? No. Shedeur Sanders? Probably not. Why can’t McCarthy be next on a team with so many high-profile QBs who somehow find their way to the Browns?
Maybe the 805th time will be the charm for Cleveland.
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