Since grabbing J.J. McCarthy as the 10th pick, the Vikings’ quarterback game got more twists than expected. Things didn’t go as planned when McCarthy ripped his meniscus before the season even started knocking him out for the year’s games.
Sam Darnold inked a deal for a single year scoring a cool $10 million as a temporary fix. Darnold has been smashing it, racking up stats that wow anyone -through Week 17 he’s thrown for 4,153 yards, landed 35 touchdown passes, and thrown 12 int, not to mention he’s completed 343 out of 504 passes with a 68.1% completion rate.
Speculations continue arising on McCarthy’s trade potential as many teams appear interested in the Vikings’ player. Several franchises in need of a dominant quarterback feel McCarthy is the best from the rookie crop which puts him in the trade frenzy. The Vikings are unsure which of their starting quarterbacks is their future, Darnold seems decent, but they placed their bets on McCarthy for the future. NFL analyst Ben Goessling said it’s pretty much a no-go for the Vikings to send McCarthy packing after they hustled to draft him in the first place.
𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚: It’s very unlikely that the #Vikings trade away quarterback JJ McCarthy, says @BenGoessling
“They are [not] going to move a guy that they drafted, that they moved up to get, that Kevin O’Connell said is a franchise QB. It’s not going to happen”.
(h/t:… pic.twitter.com/qMFfO9Xwxp
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) January 4, 2025
Market Analysis for J.J. McCarthy
Adam Schefter from ESPN let slip that a bunch of NFL squads are gonna hit up J.J. McCarthy to see if he’s up for grabs when the offseason rolls around. That’s pretty sweet news for the Vikings, ’cause McCarthy’s seen as one of the top-dog quarterback prospects that could’ve entered this draft.
Potential trade allies might include:
- The Las Vegas Raiders with the No. 8 pick
- The New York Giants with the No. 4 pick
- The Tennessee Titans with the No. 2 pick
- The New Orleans Saints owners of various early-round selections
- The New York Jets positioned at No. 7 in the draft lineup
The rookie deal McCarthy penned lasting four years and valued at $21.85 million along with a $12.71 million sign-on reward, makes him quite the catch. Anyone keen on snagging McCarthy will need to come up with a hefty proposal because the Vikings want a return that equals their investment in him, plus a little extra.
The trade scene is booming since the quarterback picks for 2025 don’t look too hot. Teams on the hunt for a rock-solid leading quarterback might lean towards snagging McCarthy over rolling the dice on new drafts. But yeah, they gotta remember, McCarthy’s still healing up from a knee injury.
“JJ McCarthy would’ve been a top if not THE top QB in this draft.”@AdamSchefter says teams will be calling the @Vikings to inquire about their rookie QB this offseason 👀 pic.twitter.com/ccgautztGb
— ESPN Radio (@ESPNRadio) January 1, 2025
Vikings’ Game Plan Looking Ahead
The Vikings are expected to have a large amount of cap space in the upcoming season. They have to choose their quarterback approach. One is assessing Sam Darnold’s situation, possibly franchising him for $40 million in 2025. They also need to evaluate the performance and the timelines of key players in determining their financial activities such as free agent signings and talent retention. They could retain both quarterbacks for 2025, to evaluate Darnold further while also having McCarthy in the wings or actually to turn to. Also, it means that they can renew contracts with other players and focus on the development of their defense as well.
Also Read: “Vikings Haven’t Tried” Widespread Reports Surfacing That Minnesota May Lose Kevin O’Connell
Minnesota has a bit of a dilemma at the quarterback position at the end of the year. Sam Darnold has done pretty well, although J.J. McCarthy is a key for the team even if he got hurt. As the draft approaches trade talks will heat up again with McCarthy, who might pull in a pretty nice return given the not-so-stellar class of quarterbacks in 2025. With $76 million in cap space, the Vikings can keep both quarterbacks or deal one for a draft pick. It will determine the course that they have to set for the team. The organization is taking its time, stressing more about creating a winning future.
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