The Minnesota Vikings have not yet closed the book on quarterback JJ McCarthy, but his prospects are looking worse than ever before as he heads into the third year of his career.
Kyler Murray is on the roster at the lowest salary the league will allow. Meanwhile, Carson Wentz is back in the fold after starting five games in McCarthy’s stead last season.
McCarthy missed six weeks due to a high-ankle sprain he suffered in Week 2, and many analysts around the NFL suspected Minnesota slow-played McCarthy’s return because Wentz was playing at a higher level than the team could reasonably expect from its second-year QB after just two starts.
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There is an argument for keeping McCarthy on the roster through the preseason, as Murray could always suffer an injury, or McCarthy could surprise and outplay him for the QB1 role.
With a drastic swing in McCarthy’s current trajectory being absent, it doesn’t appear likely that Minnesota is his long-term home. As such, if the franchise can get something valuable for McCarthy in trade, that path forward is worth at least a serious discussion.
Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports this week authored a trade proposal in which the Vikings flip McCarthy to the Los Angeles Rams in return for the No. 61 overall pick in Round 2.
“McCarthy is still young and has only 10 games of experience. He could benefit from learning under [Sean] McVay on a loaded offensive team,” Vacchiano wrote. “And not only do the Rams need to start thinking about who their quarterback will be after 38-year-old Matthew Stafford is done, they have to be prepared if he breaks down this season. Right now their backup is Stetson Bennett. McCarthy would at least be an upgrade over that.”
The kicker is whether Los Angeles believes McCarthy, the No. 10 pick in the 2024 draft, has the skill set to be a viable starter. If not, there is little to no sense in dealing such a valuable asset for him, with the Rams on the cusp of a Super Bowl appearance just last season.
If the team doesn’t see McCarthy as a possible long-term solution, it makes more sense for L.A. to bring back Jimmy Garoppolo or add Russell Wilson on a one-year contract and revisit Stafford’s successor next spring.
ESPN Floats Wild Rams-Vikings Draft Trade Involving QB JJ McCarthy
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