On Aug. 30, the Minnesota Vikings announced their 53-man roster for the 2026 NFL season. Moreover, the team’s intriguing decision was to go with four QBs, including J.J. McCarthy.
McCarthy looks to be QB3 behind Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz. With Murray and Wentz having an injury history, McCarthy might be an insurance policy in case injuries hit both. However, the Vikings might know that the former first-round pick has some trade value.
Any team needing QB help during the season leading up to the trade deadline might call the Vikings over McCarthy. For Mark Powell of FanSided, the Miami Dolphins make sense for the Vikings QB.
In an Aug. 30 article, Powell proposed a trade that would see the Dolphins acquire McCarthy in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round pick. Miami already landed quarterback Kyle McCord in exchange for a 2028 sixth-round draft pick.
As a result, Miami probably didn’t want to spend much on a backup QB, but if they run into any issues under center, perhaps McCarthy might be an option.
“Dumping a former first-round pick is never easy,” Powell wrote. “Still, the Dolphins fourth rounder is essentially a late Day 2 pick (since it could very well be the first pick in that round).
“The Vikings are a quarterback away from making the postseason, which is why their decision to draft McCarthy, and punt on Kirk Cousins and eventually Sam Darnold, all the more confusing. That is neither here nor there.”
Dolphins Might Be Happy Carrying Two QBs
As for the Dolphins, they appear content with their two-QB setup for now and will address any issues midseason. Still, Powell argues that someone like McCarthy would be a more reliable option than McCord, who lacks experience in regular-season games.
McCord signed with the Packers in January after spending the 2025 season on the Philadelphia Eagles‘ practice squad after they selected him in the sixth round of last year’s draft.
“Willis is a dual-threat quarterback, which is exciting but also makes him prone to hard contact,” Powell added in his article. “Even if Miami intends to tank this season, they’ll need someone reliable behind Willis just in case.
“I might recommend a veteran backup — which McCarthy is not — but I also wouldn’t be tanking as heavily as Jon-Eric Sullivan.”
Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy Gets Strong Words After Latest Injury
For now, it appears the Dolphins are going with two QBs, but that doesn’t mean another team can’t call Minnesota for McCarthy. For now, he’ll just have to work behind the scenes until an opportunity comes, whether it’s in Minnesota or elsewhere.
The former Michigan Wolverines product didn’t play the preseason finale due to injury, and former NFL player Chad Johnson believes that being injury-prone could be what dooms McCarthy.
“I don’t know how serious his ankle injury was, but one of the issues that he does have is that he’s been injured most of the time since he’s been there,” Johnson said on the Aug. 28 edition of “Nightcap.” “Here we go, we’re in the preseason, and you’re injured again.
“Maybe he thinks his spot is safe. He’s one of the few who needs to come in and be playing in a game like this to show that he still has it, because he might be auditioning as well for another team.”
J.J. McCarthy Issued Compelling Dolphins Trade Idea Amid Vikings’ Decision