Minnesota Vikings Quarterback J.J. McCarthy Expected To Have a Robust Market This Offseason
Nobody drafts a quarterback 10th overall with the intention of shopping him two years later. But here we are. The Minnesota Vikings selected J.J. McCarthy out of Michigan in the 2024 NFL Draft with big dreams and even bigger expectations. He came into the league having won a national championship. Jim Harbaugh called him the best quarterback in that entire draft class. The Vikings were all in.
Then reality showed up and started rearranging the furniture. McCarthy missed his entire rookie season with a torn meniscus. He came back in 2025, got his shot, and… struggled. Badly. Twelve interceptions to 11 touchdowns, a 57.6% completion rate, and a passer rating of 72.6. For context, that’s not “young quarterback finding his footing” territory. That’s “we might have a problem” territory.
The Vikings went 9-8. Sam Darnold, the guy they let walk to start McCarthy, won the Super Bowl with Seattle. You genuinely could not write this stuff.
What the Kyler Murray Signing Actually Means For McCarthy
When the Vikings signed Kyler Murray to a one-year, $1.3 million deal, Kevin O’Connell stood at a podium and carefully avoided naming a starter. “Unless I’m confused in any way, shape, or form, I don’t believe we have to name one of those currently,” he said.
Translation: Murray is going to be QB1. Everyone knows it. The Vikings know it. McCarthy’s camp knows it. The hot dog vendor outside U.S. Bank Stadium knows it.
Murray comes in at a bargain price. The Cardinals are still picking up the bulk of his $36.8 million tab, and bring a track record that includes two Pro Bowl appearances and stretches of legitimate MVP-level play. He’s not perfect. His height creates pocket vision problems. His 2025 season was rough. But he’s a known commodity who, paired with Justin Jefferson and Kevin O’Connell’s scheme, has legitimate upside.
The Teams Circling McCarthy
Here’s where it gets interesting. With McCarthy’s future in Minnesota suddenly murky, league sources indicate the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Los Angeles Chargers are all keeping a close eye on his situation.
The Browns’ interest makes sense. Cleveland has been a quarterback carousel for what feels like three decades. Shedeur Sanders is in the mix, but there’s no shortage of internal skepticism about fully committing to him long-term. A cost-controlled 23-year-old former first-round pick has appeal, even one who hasn’t exactly lit up NFL scoreboards.
ESPN Cleveland analyst Aaron Goldhammer put it bluntly on air: “Any interest in JJ McCarthy? What’s going on there?” That’s the kind of question that gets asked when people are genuinely exploring an answer.
Pittsburgh is another logical landing spot. The Steelers have Aaron Rodgers in the picture, but “Aaron Rodgers’ future” and “certainty” have not been close acquaintances in recent years. Pittsburgh brass wouldn’t mind having a young developmental option waiting in the wings, and McCarthy’s rookie contract affordability is a genuine selling point for teams trying to protect roster flexibility.
Then there’s Los Angeles. The Chargers have Justin Herbert, so McCarthy wouldn’t be starting anytime soon. But here’s the wrinkle: McCarthy’s college coach was Jim Harbaugh. The same Harbaugh who now coaches the Chargers. The same Jim Harbaugh who once said McCarthy was the best quarterback in his draft class. That connection doesn’t disappear because circumstances have changed.
Is a McCarthy Trade Actually Happening?
According to The Athletic’s Alec Lewis, the Vikings aren’t actively shopping McCarthy. But the word “untouchable” has not come up in any of these conversations. Lewis framed it simply: “Two factors matter in the overall calculus: How perturbed are McCarthy and his camp by the Murray signing? And what would other teams offer?”
That’s not a door being slammed. That’s a door being left open. Veteran NFL reporter Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports issued a starker assessment, comparing McCarthy’s trajectory to Anthony Richardson — another high-ceiling, low-production young quarterback who flamed out faster than anyone anticipated. “McCarthy has 12 months to do whatever he can to keep from becoming the next Anthony Richardson Sr.,” Robinson wrote.
That’s a sobering sentence for a 23-year-old who, not long ago, was being discussed as a franchise cornerstone.
What Happens Next
McCarthy’s path forward runs through one of two scenarios. Either he competes for the starting job in Minnesota, loses it to Murray, and requests a trade, or the Vikings proactively move him in exchange for draft capital before the situation deteriorates further.
The Athletic’s Alec Lewis noted that Minnesota “invested too much in McCarthy to pull the plug for anything other than top-tier compensation.” So don’t expect a fire sale. But don’t expect McCarthy to be handing off in purple and gold come Week 1, either.
He still has real talent. The mobility is there. The arm is there. What hasn’t been consistent is the decision-making and the production when it counts. Those are fixable things, but they require time, the right environment, and a coaching staff that believes in the project.
Whether that’s still Minnesota, or whether it’s Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, or somewhere else entirely, the McCarthy chapter of this story is far from finished. It’s just being rewritten in real time.
