J.J. McCarthy preseason performance sparks new trade speculation

After Kyler Murray was named the starter, many assumed that McCarthy would just slide into the backup role. Well, veteran Carson Wentz arguably looked better on Saturday against the Ravens. He went 9 of 11 for 92 yards.

Wentz is 33 years old, and he has plenty of experience as an NFL backup. If Minnesota is fully committed to Murray this season, moving on from McCarthy and trusting Wentz in the backup role could make a lot of sense. ESPN senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler seems to agree.

“Is he QB2 in Minnesota or is he QB3? Because they do have Carson Wentz. So, could the Minnesota Vikings field a few trade calls? A lot could happen. They have to decide what McCarthy’s role is on the team,” he said on SportsCenter on Sunday.

Fowler is not the first, nor the last, person to ask if Minnesota should trade McCarthy. The biggest question is, what’s his value? Online perception can often mask what the league truly thinks about a player, but ultimately, McCarthy still has a lot to prove at the NFL level.

McCarthy is 23 years old, and he has just 10 NFL starts under his belt. Is he worth a Day 2 pick? A Day 3 pick? O’Connell has built a track record of reviving quarterbacks’ careers, and trading McCarthy before his third season would be the exact opposite.

It’s pretty clear that McCarthy won’t have a huge impact on the Vikings’ 2026-27 season if everything goes right with Murray. Therefore, a trade wouldn’t be the worst idea, but there are still a lot of questions to be answered before we inch closer to the start of the regular season.