Vikings Rumors: The Top Piece of Trade Bait, QB1 Odds, EDGE Help
The Minnesota Vikings have just over $13 million in cap space, a new general manager, and a couple of decent trade candidates, with training camp beginning at the end of the month. That makes a festive rumor mill, and we have those rumors for you every weekend.
This week’s batch focuses on J.J. McCarthy (twice) and the Vikings’ main roster need right now — an extra OLB.
McCarthy’s Trade Value Gives Minnesota a Strangest Summer Question
Rumor: J.J. McCarthy is the Vikings’ top trade asset this summer.
On a list of prominent NFL names and notable bench players, McCarthy gained Fansided‘s Wynston Wilcox’s attention for the Vikings, and he scribed about a trade possibility: “J.J. McCarthy is going to be the most talked about backup quarterback aside from Ty Simpson at this point.”
“McCarthy’s days are numbered in Minnesota. The Vikings even thinking about pursuing Anthony Richardson could very well be the end of McCarthy in the Twin Cities. It’s not a matter of if McCarthy will get traded, it’s when. Depending on how he plays this offseason, he’ll either get dealt before Week 1 or closer to the deadline. Should McCarthy be traded? Yes.”
Here’s the uncomfortable truth about McCarthy that no one wants to say aloud: If the Vikings secretly believe he isn’t their long-term solution, then this summer presents the optimal window to trade him.
By next offseason, his value could greatly diminish. Should McCarthy suffer another injury or perform poorly in 2026, quarterback-needy teams won’t offer much for him. He’d be viewed similarly to how Anthony Richardson or Will Levis are perceived now — an intriguing prospect, but at a discounted price.
This would likely translate to a 5th-Round pick, or something in that range. Yikes.
Minnesota might still have faith in McCarthy; that’s the purpose of this summer’s competition. However, if they’ve already had a change of heart internally, waiting will not increase his trade value. It will only provide another year of potentially brutal evidence.
The Vikings probably won’t trade McCarthy — they need QB depth — but now is the best time to do it.
Rumor: McCarthy has narrowed the odds to win the QB1 battle at training camp.
Training camp is about 3.5 weeks away, and FanDuel has updated probabilities for the Vikings’ quarterback competition:
Kyler Murray: -770
JJ McCarthy: +520
Carson Wentz: +7000
Murray won the early June “microphone battle,” a moment that garnered more attention than it perhaps deserved. Murray’s poised demeanor contrasted with McCarthy’s candid, overly truthful remarks. Following that, and a few OTA clips, the consensus was that Murray had secured the starting job.
However, the narrative shifted later in June. McCarthy began to close the gap, while Murray threw a few puzzling interceptions during practice in Eagan. Practice interceptions are far from definitive, but they certainly reignited the conversation.
The competition, it seems, is far from officially over. Murray remains the favorite, bolstered by his experience and his veteran status. Yet McCarthy still has a legitimate chance, having held the starting position in 2025 and maintaining a continued presence in the competition.
July and August will ultimately determine the outcome. For now, Murray holds the lead, but McCarthy remains a contender. It will be the Vikings’ first true quarterback competition since 2014.
Rumor: Minnesota, indeed, will probably sign an outside linebacker in free agency.
The Athletic studied one central question for each NFL team leading into training camp, and for the Vikings, that was OLB.
Alec Lewis wrote, “Who will they add for depth at edge rusher? Because quarterback continues to dominate the conversation in Minnesota, other parts of the roster remain overlooked. Edge rusher is one of them.”
“The Vikings traded Jonathan Greenard to the Philadelphia Eagles. His departure opens the door for 2024 first-rounder Dallas Turner to take the next step. Minnesota also still has the cyborg, Andrew Van Ginkel. Depth behind them warrants a potential addition.”
It’s the first time in years that fans have had to worry about pass-rushing depth.
“If Turner or Van Ginkel miss time with an injury, the Vikings need reliable pass rushers, especially with how much they’re betting on youth on the interior. The team has about $13.1 million in cap space for 2026. Using a chunk of change on edge help is a realistic expectation,” Lewis concluded.
Thankfully, the open market has about 10 decent OLB options, including Jadeveon Clowney and Leonard Floyd.
Don’t be surprised when Minnesota signs a big fish at OLB in summer free-agent speak. It’s the last thing stopping the Vikings from having an honest-to-goodness, playoff-worthy depth chart — one extra EDGE rusher.
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