The Minnesota Vikings will move forward in Week 1 with Kyler Murray their starting quarterback. Making matters worse for young signal-caller J.J. McCarthy, veteran Carson Wentz appears in line to be the team’s backup behind center.
That leaves McCarthy as the QB3 in Minnesota. More than likely, though, that’s going to lead to a trade out of town during the 2026 regular season.
That’s what Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay strongly suggested this week. On Tuesday, Kay ranked the quarterbacks most likely to be dealt to another team this fall. McCarthy topped the list at No. 1.
“Although the Vikings won’t be able to recoup anything close to the draft capital they gave up to acquire McCarthy, the team could get a clean break from the disappointing passer in exchange for a late-round draft pick,” wrote Kay. “Such a move would also give McCarthy a chance to start fresh and potentially rehabilitate his career in another system.
“McCarthy may not be a prized commodity at this stage of his career, but he’s still just 23 years old and has some potential to turn things around. He showed flashes of brilliance during his short stint as Minnesota’s starter, including leading an epic fourth-quarter comeback over the rival Chicago Bears in his NFL debut last year.
“With Murray locked in as the starter and Wentz a capable backup who can keep the ship steady when called upon, the Vikings shouldn’t hesitate to take whatever they can get for Nine if another team is willing to take him.”
Although the regular season starts Wednesday, the Vikings still have two months to work a trade involving McCarthy. The NFL trade deadline this season will be Tuesday, November 10 at 4 pm ET.
Will Vikings Trade QB J.J. McCarthy?
Kay stopped short of predicting the Vikings to deal McCarthy. But of all the trade candidates Kay discussed behind center, he clearly views McCarthy the top choice to change teams.
As a former No. 10 overall pick, McCarthy has been a giant disappointment in Minnesota. Although he owns a 6-4 record, he has completed just 57.6% of his passes and averaged 6.7 yards per attempt. McCarthy has also thrown 11 touchdowns versus 12 interceptions.
All of McCarthy’s starts came last season. As a rookie in 2024, he missed the entire campaign because of a right knee injury.
In 2024, the Vikings went 14-3 with Sam Darnold behind center. Last year, Minnesota chose to move forward with McCarthy as its starter and allowed Darnold to leave in free agency.
McCarthy struggled and the Vikings missed the playoffs while Darnold went on to win the Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks.
Perhaps McCarthy can become the next Darnold — failed top 10 pick at quarterback to become a success elsewhere. But with the Vikings deciding to move forward with Murray, who they added cheaply on a 1-year deal, and Wentz, it’s probably best the team and third-year quarterback part ways sooner rather than later.
Vikings Projected to Likely Strike NFL QB Deal Before Deadline