The Minnesota Vikings are entering the 2026 campaign with a high-profile battle at the quarterback position. After J.J. McCarthy struggled mightily last year, the front office went out and signed Kyler Murray in free agency to come in and compete with him, and it seems like the coaching staff is intent on letting these guys duke it out for the starting job.
And yet, while all signs point to this race being undecided, all signs point to Murray having the inside track, which has led to McCarthy’s name popping up in trade rumors as of late. Minnesota has publicly shown no desire to give up on McCarthy just yet, but according to one anonymous general manager, there’s a growing expectation that he will eventually get dealt to a new team.
J.J. McCarthy Trade Rumors Get Hit with Blunt Assessment
Minnesota selected McCarthy with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft after he led the Michigan Wolverines to a National Championship, but his entire rookie campaign was wiped out after he suffered a meniscus injury during training camp. Sam Darnold balled out in his absence, but after he signed with the Seattle Seahawks in free agency, the starting job was handed to McCarthy.
While McCarthy won six of his 10 starts, his performance under center was not particularly good (140/243, 1,632 YDS, 11 TD, 12 INT, 37 CAR, 181 YDS, 4 TD). While there were stretches where McCarthy flashed his potential, he was maddeningly inconsistent, and if it weren’t for a fantastic supporting cast on both sides of the ball, Minnesota would have lost several more games than it did last year.
Now, Murray is in town competing with McCarthy for his job, and based on his public comments about the former Arizona Cardinals star, he doesn’t seem too happy to have him in town. That has only added to an already contentious situation, and things don’t appear to be tracking too well for McCarthy. According to one anonymous GM, he is of the belief that McCarthy won’t make it through the year as a member of the Vikings.
“I think he’s gone by the deadline,” the general manager told NFL insider Jason La Canfora of casino.org.
What Should the Vikings Do with J.J. McCarthy?
GettyEAGAN, MINNESOTA – JUNE 10: J.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings looks on during minicamp at Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center on June 10, 2026 in Eagan, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
There’s no doubt that McCarthy has upside, but this is a Vikings team that appears capable of contending for a championship if it can figure out its quarterback situation. If Murray comes in and balls out, there’s a decent chance the team will commit to him and move on from McCarthy after watching Darnold leave in free agency, only to promptly lead the Seahawks to a Super Bowl.
It’s not out of the picture to suggest that McCarthy will beat out Murray for the starting quarterback job, but unless something drastic happens during training camp, it doesn’t seem like things are trending that way. And if Murray takes firm control of Minnesota’s offense, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see McCarthy get traded at some point midway through the 2026 season.
Anonymous GM Drops Truth Bomb on Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy Trade Rumors