There's Growing Talk About Vikings Trading J.J. McCarthy

Originally posted on The Spun | By Chris Rosvoglou | Last updated Mar 14, 2026 5:00 PM ET

With Kyler Murray officially on the Minnesota Vikings, it might be a matter of time before they trade J.J. McCarthy.

Don't let the 9-8 record fool you, the 2025 season was a disaster for the Vikings. They watched Sam Darnold leave them and win a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks all because they were committed to McCarthy. To make matters worse, McCarthy only completed 57.6% of his passes for 1,632 yards with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

In an effort to improve their quarterback room this offseason, the Vikings signed Murray to a one-year, $1.3 million contract. He's favored to be the Week 1 starter for Kevin O'Connell.

As for McCarthy, he may find himself playing for another team this fall.

Nov 2, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell greets quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) after throwing a touchdown pass in the first quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

According to Alec Lewis of The Athletic, the Vikings aren't actively looking to trade McCarthy this offseason. However, the former Michigan star is far from untouchable.

"This cannot be completely ruled out. Two factors matter in the overall calculus: How perturbed are McCarthy and his camp by the Murray signing? And what would other teams offer?" Lewis wrote. "Trading McCarthy would leave no murkiness around the hierarchy in the quarterback room. The Vikings invested too much in McCarthy, though, to pull the plug for anything other than top-tier compensation."

Which NFL teams make sense for McCarthy?

Charles Walter of the Pioneer Press mentioned the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers as potential suitors for McCarthy. He also listed the Los Angeles Chargers due to McCarthy's connection with Jim Harbaugh.

Before the Vikings selected McCarthy with the 10th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Harbaugh made a bold claim about his former quarterback.

"I think he plays quarterback the best of any quarterback in the draft," Harbaugh said. "He's incredible. So, big market, small market. Cold weather, hot weather, it won't matter."

Who knows? Maybe the Chargers will take a chance on McCarthy this offseason. He could sit behind Justin Herbert and develop his skillset behind the scenes.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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