The Minnesota Vikings let JJ McCarthy go in September for just a fifth-round pick, a decision that has inspired criticism after the third-year QB won his first start for the New York Giants in Week 7.
Following Minnesota’s first loss of the season against the Detroit Lions in Week 8, Dan Graziano of ESPN spoke directly with several members of the Vikings’ coaching staff, all of whom echoed the same eyebrow-raising sentiments with regards to McCarthy’s early successes elsewhere.
Minnesota coaches told me they believed McCarthy had matured significantly since the start of the 2026 offseason (the word ‘maturity’ is also one the Giants‘ coaches are using to praise McCarthy) and they were happy the team had been able to send him to a place where he had a chance to be successful,” Graziano wrote Wednesday, November 4.
“They also recognize they have a chance to look bad if McCarthy plays well for the Giants and Kyler Murray doesn’t get things going in Minnesota, but everyone agrees it was time for a scenery change,” Graziano continued.
Precise Reason Behind JJ McCarthy’s Trade Remains Unclear
Why Minnesota and McCarthy each felt that they needed to go their separate ways remains the crux of the mystery, however, and one that the public may never know — at least not until several years pass and all the relevant characters in the story have moved on to new opportunities and/or different endeavors.
It remains curious that the Vikings would bail so early on a 23-year-old quarterback they spent a top-10 overall pick to acquire just two years before, then gave only 10 starts before demoting him and ultimately trading him inside the conference for a Day 3 draft pick.
At the time of that decision, it was still unclear how the Murray experiment would turn out, but it is safe to say that it hasn’t gone as well as anyone in the organization might have hoped as the halfway point of the campaign approaches.
Vikings May Already Be Moving Away From Kyler Murray as Starting QB
Murray now has “hamstring tightness,” per head coach Kevin O’Connell, which Ian Rapoport of ESPN reported earlier this week might lead to the QB to miss Minnesota’s next game against the Buffalo Bills on “Monday Night Football.”
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggested that the injury could provide the Vikings with the necessary “cover” for a “soft benching” of Murray that allows the Vikings to turn to QB2 Carson Wentz while still affording both the team and Murray the chance to save face by calling his demotion something different than what it really is.
Minnesota arguably did something similar with McCarthy last season following a high ankle sprain in Week 2 that sidelined him for six weeks, during which the team went 2-3 with Wentz and also had its bye week. The Vikings ultimately went back to McCarthy, though they did not do so until after Wentz suffered a shoulder injury that required season-ending surgery.
Vikings Make New Head-Turning Admissions on JJ McCarthy Trade