The future of Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy remains uncertain after the arrival of Kyler Murray and the re-signing of Carson Wentz. As a result, if McCarthy wants to be the Vikings starter in 2026, he will need to edge out two signal-callers with starting experience.
Nonetheless, not many expect McCarthy to win this QB competition, which is why his name is floating in trade speculation. If Murray wins the starting job, as many expect, the question will be whether McCarthy can be QB2 or if Wentz edges him out for that job.
Should McCarthy fall to QB3, would any team decide to take a gamble on the former Top 10 pick in 2024? The Pittsburgh Steelers are likely waiting on Aaron Rodgers’ decision, but if he decides to retire, where should they pivot?
Dave Dameshek suggested other quarterback options to NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah that the Steelers could consider, including J.J. McCarthy, but Jeremiah dismissed that possibility.
“That points me toward Kirk Cousins as the best option there,” Jeremiah said in a March 19 video from “New Football America.” “You can get a nice little two-year window because when you bring back T.J. Watt, when you bring back [Cameron] Heyward, like that’s not, ‘Hey guys, we’re going to fool around and see if we can experiment with this J.J. McCarthy thing and see if this hits for us here.’
“They’ve built up the offensive and defensive line really well. They’ve got a lot of good young players on this team, but this feels like, ‘Hey, this is kind of a decision for the last ride of this group.’ Then we’ll go on and try to find the next one.”
Could J.J. McCarthy Be Traded?
On March 13, Vikings reporter for The Athletic, Alec Lewis, shared whether McCarthy could be on the trade block later this year, especially if he ends up being the third QB on the Vikings depth chart.
“[Trading McCarthy] cannot be completely ruled out,“ Lewis wrote in his article. “Two factors matter in the overall calculus: How perturbed are McCarthy and his camp by the Murray signing? And what would other teams offer?
“The Vikings have publicly reiterated their feelings about McCarthy and that they see an advantage in giving him competition. They aren’t completely all in for 2026, evidenced by their measured approach in free agency. But they’re also not punting on a season that must reestablish their standing as formidable foes in the NFC North.”
Would the Vikings Stand in J.J. McCarthy’s Way?
Moreover, Lewis notes that if McCarthy does lose the competition and wants a fresh start elsewhere, the Vikings wouldn’t stand in his way.
“Trading McCarthy would leave no murkiness around the hierarchy in the quarterback room,” Lewis added. “The Vikings invested too much in McCarthy, though, to pull the plug for anything other than top-tier compensation.
“McCarthy seeking another destination could introduce a different layer of decision-making. Minnesota likes to respond amicably to players’ desires. But leverage tends to matter in these situations, too, and McCarthy remains under contract for at least two more seasons.”
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