When the Minnesota Vikings traded up to select J.J. McCarthy with the 10th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, they did so believing he’d quickly become their franchise quarterback. But no one, not even Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings’ front office could have predicted Sam Darnold would develop into a top-ten QB.
McCarthy’s season-ending knee injury surely threw a wrench into the Vikings’ plans, but it also gave Darnold complete confidence that he wouldn’t get a quick hook after a bad game. While the former No. 3 overall pick was only signed to a one-year contract, the Vikings want him back next season.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, now teams around the league are expected to pursue a trade for McCarthy this offseason, and there are several teams in need of a potential franchise QB. Here are seven teams that should try trading for McCarthy.
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New Orleans Saints
When healthy, Derek Carr is an above-average quarterback. This move would be more about clearing up the Saints’ future cap sheet by trading the four-time Pro Bowl QB elsewhere while replacing the 33-year-old with a much younger solution. Yet, with Carr’s $51 million cap number in 2025, pulling this move off may be tricky for New Orleans.
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Cleveland Browns
Yes, the Browns are likely to keep Deshaun Watson around in 2025, but bringing in a QB on a rookie contract helps balance out Watson’s $72.9 million cap hit. Plus, Watson hasn’t shown any signs of being a franchise QB, whereas the soon-to-be 22-year-old McCarthy may have an immediate chance of performing better. The Browns are currently projected to select third overall, which may be too much to give up for McCarthy, but packaging their second-round pick plus someone like Denzel Ward could move the needle in their favor.
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Tennessee Titans
Brian Callahan comes from the Bengals, giving him a first-hand look at one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks. Now he’s looking for his own franchise QB. Projected to finish with the second overall pick could deliver the Titans the QB they need, yet some believe McCarthy is a better prospect than Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward. If the Titans are willing to consider trading Jeffery Simmons plus a Day 2 selection, the Vikings may be willing to listen.
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Pittsburgh Steelers
The Russell Wilson/Justin Fields experiment is leading to another playoff appearance, but there’s still room for improvement in Pittsburgh. The Steelers could bring either one back and still trade for McCarthy, putting a couple of fail-safes in place. Since the Steelers’ pick will be in the 20s, they may have to trade two first-round selections or consider including players such as Keeanu Benton or Minkah Fitzpatrick to swing momentum in their favor. Yet, for McCarthy, he’d be joining a playoff atmosphere with a top-ten receiver in George Pickens.
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New York Giants
Winning last Sunday slid the Giants down from the first overall pick to fourth, which could leave them on the outside looking in when it comes to drafting their next franchise QB. That’s where trading for McCarthy could make a lot of sense. McCarthy has enough zip to cut through the high winds at MetLife Stadium, and he’d already have a superstar receiver in Malik Nabers. But this move will come with a price. Are the Giants willing to trade the fourth overall pick for McCarthy, or would they even be willing to consider parting with Dexter Lawrence?
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New York Jets
The Jets could opt to bring Aaron Rodgers back, but the better move for their future would be to trade for McCarthy. They’re projected to pick seventh, which feels like the perfect amount of trade value in exchange for the young QB. But the Jets may still have to toss in some later picks and/or a player of lesser value too. Either way, it would finally give them a young QB with superstar potential.
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Las Vegas Raiders
Projected to select eighth, no team is more desperate to find their long-term QB than the Las Vegas Raiders. They could trade their eighth pick, plus a late-round selection or two, to pair McCarthy with one of the NFL’s best tight ends in Brock Bowers. After swinging and missing on a veteran QB last offseason, this feels like a much better solution for Vegas.
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