It’s time for the New York Jets to make a move at the quarterback position.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini said on the “Jets Collective” podcast that the team should explore a potential trade for Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy.
“I would make that call, I really would. I know the young man has obviously struggled a lot & I think he’s probably done in Minnesota. If they thought there was half a chance they could mold him into something this year, he’d be starting right now,” Cimini said.
“So I don’t know if they’d be willing to trade him; I don’t think they’ve closed their mind to the idea of trading him, but if I’m [Darren] Mougey, I mean McCarthy has got a lot of raw talent, he’s just raw, he needs developing, but there is talent there,” Cimini explained.
“I would make that call, I really would. I know the young man has obviously struggled a lot & I think he’s probably done in Minnesota. If they
Stats Tell Two Sides to the Story
McCarthy lost the starting quarterback competition to veteran Kyler Murray this offseason. Suddenly, his future with the team is up in the air.
The former Michigan product was the No. 10 overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft. He was highly thought of coming out of college as the QB1 of a 15-0 National Championship Michigan team.
McCarthy didn’t play his rookie year after he hurt his knee in a preseason game. He ended up having season-ending knee surgery.
This past season, McCarthy appeared in and started in 10 games. With those opportunities, McCarthy finished with a 6-4 record as a starting QB; he completed 57.6% of his passes, threw for 1,632 passing yards, and had an 11-to-12 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
On the surface, those numbers don’t inspire much confidence. However, Cimini revealed some deeper-level analytics that actually shine a favorable light on McCarthy.
“He did play better toward the end of the year. From Week 11 on, I wrote this down: he was 17th in QBR, right in the middle of the pack over the last seven or eight weeks of the season. Which, by the way, his QBR over that span was better than [Jared] Goff, better than [Jalen] Hurts, [Sam] Darnold, [Aaron] Rodgers, and way better than Geno Smith,” Cimini explained.
“I’m not saying he is the answer, but I would bring him in as my backup, and then have him in my building for a year, get to see him every day in practice, and decide whether maybe he can be something to the future. So of course it depends on [the] asking price; his contract is cheap, he’s got two years left of team control at a very low number. So if I’m the Jets, I would make that call and try to get him,” Cimini added.
What Do You Have to Lose?
The Jets should take as many swings at the QB position. Once they finally find one, they should keep looking for more. There aren’t many teams in the NFL who complain about having too many good quarterbacks.
The Jets should explore a trade for McCarthy. If the price is right, they should pull the trigger. This is a potential low-risk versus high-reward type move. If he is immature or stinks, the Jets can move on.
The 2027 NFL draft is still far away. Before the Jets get there, they should keep evaluating other options. In this league, you need starters and backups at the QB position.
Depending on the trade acquisition cost, the juice would be worth the squeeze on McCarthy. McCarthy likely wouldn’t cost much more than a mid-day three pick.
Insider Says Jets Should Make QB Trade Call for National Champion