QB Carousel Prediction Lands J.J. McCarthy in Outside of Minnesota
J.J. McCarthy has spent two years in Minnesota, but according to Bleacher Report‘s Moe Moton, his stint may end this offseason. Moton predicted all landing spots for high-profile passers in the 2026 quarterback carousel, nominating McCarthy to the Arizona Cardinals in a trade that would send Kyler Murray to Minnesota.
Not much suggests the Vikings want to move McCarthy, but the QB carousel buzz keeps dragging Arizona and Murray into it.
Most Vikings fans don’t consider McCarthy for sale, but without general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in the mix, all bets are off regarding McCarthy’s future.
Arizona Gets Pulled into the McCarthy Plot
McCarthy would get a fresh start in the desert at the age of 23.
Moton: J.J. McCarthy and Kirk Cousins to Cardinals
At the very top of his list, Moton theorized McCarthy and Cousins to Arizona, noting, “The Arizona Cardinals could turn over their quarterback room under new head coach Mike LaFleur. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the team is ‘likely’ to move on from Kyler Murray before his guaranteed money raises the cost to keep him.”
“The Cardinals should call the Minnesota Vikings about a signal-caller swap to dump Murray’s contract and take on J.J. McCarthy’s rookie deal. The third-year quarterback’s contract would cost only about $6 million against the cap. In addition, Arizona can add Kirk Cousins to replace Jacoby Brissett, who may not fit into the new coaching staff’s plans.”
McCarthy would work with the Cardinals’ new offensive coordinator, Nathaniel Hackett, who oversaw a couple of offenses years back when Aaron Rodgers won MVP awards in Green Bay.
Moton continued, “Because of the perceived gap between Fernando Mendoza and the other quarterback prospects in the 2026 draft class, the Cardinals are unlikely to add a signal-caller with the No. 3 pick. Instead, they can develop McCarthy, who’s only 23, and have him battle Cousins for the lead job.”
“If Arizona doesn’t think the former is ready to play, the latter can run the offense as the unquestioned starter for at least a year. In this scenario, LaFleur would have an experienced quarterback under center while working on a high-upside developmental player who showed flashes in the previous season.”
The Cardinals would quickly turn into “Vikings Southwest” with McCarthy and Cousins duking it out for QB1.
A Fascinating Camp Battle to Monitor if So
In Moton’s scenario, the Vikings would employ Murray and a QB2 to be named later, perhaps Max Bromser as QB3. Minnesota would not have much training camp battle intrigue at quarterback, rolling with Murray at QB1 — but the Cardinals sure would.
Vikings fans would hang on pins and needles to learn who would win in the Cardinals’ summer battle, as both McCarthy and Cousins have such in-your-face and longstanding connections to Minnesota. It almost feels too weird to be true that both players would end up on the same team, battling it out for the top job.
The Vikings’ past in Cousins versus the guy who was supposed be the Vikings’ future in McCarthy. Front-row seats needed.
McCarthy’s First Two Seasons in the Pros
The forecast for McCarthy in 2025 wasn’t about eye-popping statistics, but something closer to 3,200 yards and 20 touchdowns — incremental growth, competence, and good health. The goal was for the young quarterback to gain experience and show progress by December.
His first six starts were rough. His statistics were unimpressive, and at times, the film was even worse, drawing unfavorable comparisons to 1st-Round busts of years past. His mechanics deteriorated, his footwork became rushed, and routine throws became unpredictable.
Then came the Washington game, followed by Dallas.
Suddenly, his timing improved, his base steadied, and his ball placement became more precise. He attacked tight passing windows with confidence, and the offense moved with rhythm instead of panic. This version of McCarthy looked like a quarterback who understood how to lead a team.
Importantly, even amidst the early struggles, glimpses of clutch potential emerged. McCarthy remained composed during two-minute drills and delivered under pressure in late-game situations. For example, in his first-ever start at Chicago, McCarthy often looked herky-jerky with all operations, but when Minnesota needed him the most, he turned on the jets in the 4th Quarter and won the game. He took home the NFC Offensive Player of the Week in his first game.
With all that in mind, especially considering his lack of durability, the Vikings must decide to remain loyal to McCarthy’s development — or trade him to Arizona, as the BR piece suggested.
Weapons McCarthy Would Inherit
The Cardinals would gift McCarthy just a few core pieces. The offensive line needs 2-3 sturdy trenchmen this offseason, the WR corps will require a WR3, and a healthy Trey Benson would do wonders.
Overall, McCarthy would be asked to cook with these offensive players under contract in 2026:
- Trey Benson (RB)
- Hjatle Froholdt (C)
- Marvin Harrison (WR)
- Paris Johnson (OT)
- Trey McBride (TE)
- Michael Wilson (WR)
His setup is markedly better in Minnesota, so Cardinals fans would have to hope for a momentous offseason, courtesy of general manager Monti Ossenfort.
The betting market believes Murray will land in Minnesota, but whether the Vikings must trade McCarthy to acquire him is not widely agreed upon as of mid-February. It’s just a Bleacher Report theory.
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