J.J. McCarthy’s career with the Minnesota Vikings could be coming to an end. McCarthy lost the quarterback battle to Kyler Murray, and recently the Vikings moved him to third-string. The former first-round pick in 2025 struggled mightily, leading to major concerns about his capability as the starter.
The arm talent that made McCarthy the 10th pick overall has not disappeared, though. If other teams could get their hands on McCarthy and develop him into his true potential, then he could become a great quarterback.
What Teams Could Trade for J.J. McCarthy?
3. Arizona Cardinals
Earlier this year the Arizona Cardinals traded away Kyler Murray to the Vikings. Now maybe the Cardinals could trade for McCarthy, considering they may desire a younger QB.
The Cardinals have not had the season start they hoped for thus far. Getting defeated by the Seattle Seahawks 31-7, and the San Francisco 49ers 36-30, but they did win against the Los Angeles Chargers 26-14.
The starting quarterback for the Cardinals is the 33-year-old Jacoby Brissett, who is a veteran quarterback. If the Cardinals were to bring in a player like McCarthy they could develop him into the quarterback he has the potential to become. McCarthy has only played one season in his career, and that was not a great season for him. Perhaps the Cardinals could hope for the young McCarthy to develop behind Brissett for a little while.
2. Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts could most certainly be a landing spot for McCarthy. The Colts’ starting quarterback is Daniel Jones, who so far has had a fine career with the Colts, but it is never a bad idea to trade for a backup, or potentially a starter in the future years.
Jones has dealt with injuries during his career, which makes having a reliable backup important for the Colts. Riley Leonard and Anthony Richardson are both behind Jones right now. However, Leonard may not yet be viewed as a potential starter in the future, while Richardson remains a big question. So if the Colts were to bring in McCarthy he could definitely fit in as a backup and a future starter.
The Colts could definitely trade for McCarthy with the depth they have, and they have cap space as well. If the Colts were to trade for McCarthy, they should consider trying to upgrade other positions as well, like maybe wide receivers or offensive linemen. That would definitely help McCarthy grow, and most certainly help the Colts. The only question is would it be too much of a risk to trade for McCarthy and could he just turn out to be a bust? The trade would be high risk, high reward.
1. New York Giants
The New York Giants lost Jaxson Dart due to a knee injury in the first half. Dart will undergo surgery, and could definitely return for preseason next year. The Giants had to start Jameis Winston for the rest of the game, and he did not do very well taking a 28-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
McCarthy could give the Giants another young quarterback to develop while Dart recovers. Instead of relying on a veteran quarterback, the Giants could take a chance on a former first-round pick. McCarthy would also have an opportunity to compete for the starting job in the future if he performs well and proves that he is the quarterback that many expected him to be.
Main Image: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images
