Report reveals just how close Vikings were to trading J.J. McCarthy

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Yannick Peterhans / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

New report reveals just how close the Minnesota Vikings were to trading J.J. McCarthy to desperate AFC team

Originally posted on Total Pro Sports | By Alex Hoegler | Last updated Jan 31, 2026 12:34 PM ET

The Minnesota Vikings were reportedly close to trading quarterback J.J. McCarthy to an AFC club last offseason.

On Friday, the Vikings stunned the football world by firing general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. Teams don’t usually wait this long after the regular season to make a GM change, but Vikings ownership decided to move on from him nine days ahead of Super Bowl 60.

There’s time for them to prove us all wrong. But right now, the Vikings oughta be kicking themselves for choosing J.J. McCarthy over Sam Darnold last year. The latter signed a three-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks in free agency and now has them a win away from a Super Bowl victory.

According to NFL reporter Daniel Rotman, Minnesota was “moments away from trading” McCarthy to the Las Vegas Raiders last offseason. That move never materialized, with Rotman adding “there was internal disagreement” about the club drafting McCarthy in 2024.

It was reported last week that the Vikings will make a massive trade offer for Joe Burrow. Some have even floated the idea of Minnesota reuniting with Daniel Jones if he enters free agency, though that’s unlikely.

J.J. McCarthy can still salvage his career

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images)

McCarthy missed his entire rookie season with a knee injury. Unfortunately, a string of injuries limited him to 10 starts in 2025.

His stat line left a lot to be desired, yes. Though the Vikings won six of his 10 starts, McCarthy completed just 57.6 percent of pass attempts for 11 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a lackluster 72.6 passer rating.

Right now, the Vikings obviously wish they kept Darnold. But it’s not too late for McCarthy to save his career. He still works under one of the league’s best coaches in Kevin O’Connell. With Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and TJ Hockenson headlining a deep set of playmakers, McCarthy still has a good opportunity to emerge as the franchise QB in 2026.

This article first appeared on Total Pro Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: