The J.J. McCarthy era for the Minnesota Vikings appears to be on its last legs.
McCarthy struggled in his first season as the full-time starter for the Vikings, completing 57.6% of his passes for 1,632 yards with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Although he's under contract for the 2026 season, he's expected to lose his starting job to Kyler Murray. The Pro Bowl quarterback agreed to a one-year, $1.3 million contract with the Vikings last week.
Adding Murray to the quarterback room was a clear sign that Minnesota wanted an upgrade over McCarthy, and just for good measure, the front office has decided to bring back Carson Wentz. He reached an agreement on a one-year contract this Thursday.
After the Vikings re-signed Wentz, NFL fans started speculating about McCarthy's future in Minnesota. Most of them believe he'll be traded this offseason.
"It is time to trade JJ McCarthy," one person said. "It is clear KOC is done with him. Get him to a team that can be patient with his development."
"I'm starting to feel like McCarthy is trade bait at this point," a fan commented.
"I’ll say ~$1m in guarantees for Wentz is right about the line where I think there should be a meaningful expectation that the Vikings are going to trade McCarthy," another person wrote on social media.
Where could J.J. McCarthy revitalize his career?
A week ago, Charles Walter of the Pioneer Press mentioned the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers as possible trade suitors for McCarthy.
We also can't rule out the Los Angeles Chargers potentially taking a chance on McCarthy. After all, he had a successful run with Jim Harbaugh at Michigan.
For now though, McCarthy is stuck in Minnesota's crowded quarterback room.
