NFL Insider Whispers Vikings QB Could Be Traded
The Minnesota Vikings have outwardly professed they will add another quarterback this offseason, likely to pair with 23-year-old J.J. McCarthy in a summer training camp competition — or at least to employ a top-tier backup alternative. But according to Yahoo Sports‘ Charles Robinson, McCarthy could be traded if the right deal presents itself.
It’s rumor territory, yet it connects to Minnesota’s offseason, cap planning, and a desperate QB market.
The report is especially noteworthy as the NFL Combine begins this week, and general managers + head coaches converge on one spot to wheel and deal.
Combine Week Puts the Vikings’ Quarterback Situation under a Microscope
Don’t rule out a McCarthy trade altogether, says Yahoo Sports.
Robinson on McCarthy
Most Vikings fans don’t have McCarthy on the trade block, but Robinson subtly challenged that position on Friday.
With the Combine kicking off Monday, he wrote, “Throw in some young players who might get a call or two just to see if they are available on the trade market, including Buffalo Bills wideout Keon Coleman, Jacksonville Jaguars wideout Brian Thomas Jr., Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson and Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Thomas, Richardson and McCarthy are not expected to be officially on the trade block, but all three could garner some interest and calls.”
“Thomas seems less likely to be dealt with the Jaguars moving Travis Hunter primarily to cornerback. McCarthy won’t be dealt unless the Vikings are presented with a quarterback option that effectively renders any chance of him having a future as moot.”
What’s the Right Deal?
Robinson claimed McCarthy could be jettisoned via trade if his future became “moot.” That’s a rather meaty ultimatum, one that suggests the Vikings would be deep-sea fishing for his replacement. It’s rare for a quarterback-whispering head coach like Kevin O’Connell to draft a player in Round 1 and cast him off less than two years later.
Therefore, to trade McCarthy, per the Robinson theory, the incoming quarterback would have to be quite splashy. The list might look like this:
- Joe Burrow
- Justin Herbert
- Lamar Jackson
- Baker Mayfield
And there’s just no evidence to suggest any of the players’ teams will trade those passers.
Team Control for Up to Three Years
Meanwhile, McCarthy remains under contract with the Vikings through the end of 2028 if Minnesota eventually exercises his fifth-year option. They achieve no major cap relief by trading McCarthy. The franchise would basically sever ties altogether because it found something proven and better.
McCarthy struggled in 2025, his second year in the pros, sans a handful of big moments in clutch spots, as well as a memorable three-game stretch against the Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, and New York Giants, when McCarthy played at a Pro Bowl clip against three poor defenses.
It’s too early to mail it on McCarthy — unless he’s required to land Burrow, for example.
Aaron Rodgers in Play? Malik Willis?
Robinson was actually full of Vikings quarterback theories.
He noted on Aaron Rodgers’s situation: “The future of Aaron Rodgers will be a pressing question for the Pittsburgh Steelers — at least as it pertains to the organization’s other options and what kind of timeline there would be for a Rodgers decision.”
“It’s possible we exit the combine under the presumption that the Steelers are going to move forward and try to find their future QB, which would shift the Rodgers conversation back to the Vikings, whom he was interested in before landing in Pittsburgh last offseason.”
The rumor mill featured Rodgers to Minnesota front and center last offseason before the 42-year-old signed with the Steelers.
Robinson also mentioned Malik Willis, the league’s top free-agent quarterback, while dropping the Vikings’ name once again.
“The ballpark speculation in the agent community is some kind of two-year deal averaging $30 to $35 million a season with $40 to $45 million guaranteed. That would put Willis in position to go back to the table next offseason and negotiate a longer term deal that tacks on to the end of 2027 and extends his guaranteed money out into a three-year window through the 2028 season,” he scribed.
“There are varying opinions on the numbers and structure, not to mention the potential interest. Willis feels like the first big quarterback domino that has to fall in March to trigger a larger migration. If he were to land in Pittsburgh, that then puts Rodgers — if he still wants to play — onto the market for the Vikings or any other suitors. And once Willis is off the board, the teams that ultimately don’t have him as an option will then have to reassess.”
Willis will turn 27 in May and may be the league’s next big reclamation story, akin to Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield.
It’s also worth noting that Robinson isn’t a hot take merchant; if he says McCarthy could be traded for a big fish, that’s a credible assertion.
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