It’s no secret that the J.J. McCarthy experiment in Minnesota might be coming to an end before it reaches the halfway point of its expected runtime.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell doubled, maybe even tripled down on the former Michigan Wolverine quarterback last season when he cleared every path necessary for the youngster to feel confident as the main man for the Vikings.
Sam Darnold, who led Minnesota to a 14-3 record, was given the salute goodbye and then signed with the Seattle Seahawks, only to replicate his regular-season record with the Vikings but win the Super Bowl in his first year with his new team.
While that isn’t the primary reason for the Vikings looking elsewhere for a more reliable signal-caller in 2026, it didn’t help matters for McCarthy, who faced backlash from the first second of the season to his final snap of the ball for the campaign.
When he wasn’t out injured, McCarthy struggled with unforced errors, poor pocket presence, and a tendency to fold under any sort of pressure.
Although the Vikings don’t need to trade McCarthy, the team could do so before or at the upcoming NFL Draft.
Outside of projected No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza of Indiana, there are no locks for any other QB to be taken in the first round.
But with a slew of teams needing someone under center for next season or for the future, it opens the door for the Vikings to possibly salvage the McCarthy signing by getting draft capital back for him, albeit nothing luxurious.
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At the top of the list, the Los Angeles Rams and Sean McVay could be interested in talking to his former offensive coordinator, O’Connell, to land McCarthy. McVay already proved with Jared Goff that he can turn a perceived bust into a valuable starter, so why not the former College Football Playoff winner?
McCarthy, who has just turned 23, can sit behind reigning MVP Matthew Stafford for a year or two before taking over.
Another similar fit could be the Pittsburgh Steelers with new head coach Mike McCarthy (no relation). The Steelers are staring down the barrel of a possible rebuild, and taking a chance with the 23-year-old QB might be a gamble worth taking.
They aren’t high enough in the pecking order to hunt for maybe even the second or third best QB in an already shallow signal-caller NFL Draft, so swinging a trade with the Vikings could make sense.
The final time, well, it’s the Cleveland Browns. Sure, they already have 45 QBs on their roster and took two rookies last season, but why not add more to the team? They have two first-round draft picks and could use the latter selections to bring McCarthy over from Minnesota.
Deshaun Watson? No. Shedeur Sanders? Probably not. On a team with so many high-profile QBs that somehow find their way to the Browns, why can’t McCarthy be the next?
Maybe the 805th time is the charm for Cleveland.
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