Two years ago J.J. McCarthy was the tenth overall pick and the future of the Minnesota Vikings. Today he is the third quarterback on their depth chart.
Minnesota opens 2026 with Kyler Murray starting and Carson Wentz in line as the backup, which pushes McCarthy to QB3. He made the 53-man roster, but a former top-ten quarterback taking snaps behind two veterans is not a stable arrangement.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay named McCarthy the quarterback most likely to be traded during the 2026 season. That is a projection rather than a report, and the distinction matters here.
What the Actual Reporting Says
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler poured cold water on it. Fowler reported that when he called around the league about backup quarterback trade possibilities, McCarthy’s name did not come up much at all.
That is the most useful data point in this entire story. Speculation is loud. Actual demand is quiet.
Minnesota’s front office has stayed diplomatic, declining to discuss whether teams have called and offering the standard line about being pleased to have McCarthy on the roster. Every general manager says a version of that about every player, right up until the deal is announced.
Why the Market Is Cold
Teams are not lining up because the price does not match the profile. Minnesota invested a first-round pick and would want real value back. Rival clubs see a young quarterback who has not seized a starting job and who now sits third on his own depth chart.
The quarterback carousel this offseason did not help either. Between veterans changing teams and a deep group of available arms, a club that needs a passer has cheaper options than trading picks for a former first-rounder with limited production.
Add the Murray factor. Minnesota brought in a starter with an established ceiling, which signals the organization is trying to win now rather than develop patiently. That is exactly the environment where a young quarterback becomes trade bait, but it is also why teams sense the Vikings might eventually have to take less than they want.
Our Take
McCarthy does not get traded before the November 10 deadline, and I would not do it if I ran Minnesota.
Selling a 23-year-old quarterback at his absolute lowest value, to a market Fowler says is barely asking about him, is how franchises end up watching a former pick succeed somewhere else for a decade. Murray is not signed to Minnesota forever. Wentz is a bridge. McCarthy is the only cost-controlled answer on the roster.
The scenario that changes everything is an injury. If a contender loses its starter in October, a team with a real roster and a sudden hole will pay a premium for a young arm with upside. That is the moment Minnesota’s phone actually rings, and that is the only offer worth taking.
Until then, this is noise. Keep him, let him learn behind two veterans, and revisit in the spring when the Vikings know what they have in Murray. Trading McCarthy now would be reacting to a depth chart instead of a plan.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
