The Minnesota Vikings don’t need to trade rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy, but there is a strong argument that they should.
The case is straightforward. McCarthy was the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft and had a higher grade heading into those proceedings than any quarterback in the entire 2025 class. There are at least a half dozen QB-needy franchises and not enough arms to fill that demand between free agency and the draft combined.
All of that translates into leverage for the Vikings if they put McCarthy on the trade block, something the franchise can afford to do if it extends starter Sam Darnold following a career year in which the 27-year-old threw for more than 4,300 yards and 35 touchdowns.
Such is the context for a trade proposal authored by the Bleacher Report’s NFL Scouting Department on Monday, February 3, which sends McCarthy to the Las Vegas Raiders for the No. 6 pick.
“The Vikings have the lowest investment in this year’s draft with just four total picks and two in the top 100. They could change that quickly if they were willing to trade McCarthy,” B/R wrote. “The Michigan quarterback might have been the top quarterback prospect in this class, and he was only 21 when he was drafted. In this deal, the Raiders could simply use their sixth overall selection to [acquire] a quarterback who may be better than any passer in this draft, and the Vikings get a chance to add a difference-maker to their promising roster.”
J.J. McCarthy Potentially Worth Up to 3 Draft Picks
While the logic of the trade proposal is sound, the return projection may actually be low.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter speculated on New Year’s Day that Darnold is worth at least a first-round pick and potentially another draft asset, or even two. His colleague Mel Kiper Jr. voiced a similar opinion just days later.
“[The Vikings] only having a first and two fifths, they may say, ‘Hey, if we can get three draft picks for J.J. McCarthy, maybe let’s do it,’” Kiper said January 9. “McCarthy is a year younger than Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders. He’s coming off the [knee] injury, but he’s a kid if you look at his grade last year compared to this year with the quarterbacks, he’d be the No. 1 guy.”
However, Kiper also noted that dealing McCarthy would be more problematic for the Vikings if Darnold struggled in the playoffs after having a poor showing against the Detroit Lions in Week 18, which cost Minnesota its chance at the No. 1 seed in the NFC and a first-round bye.
Darnold did struggle — mightily, in fact — against the Los Angeles Rams over Super Wildcard Weekend, which complicates the scenario in Minnesota.
Vikings Face Intriguing Decision on Sam Darnold
Normally bringing back a player like Darnold after the season he just produced would be a no-brainer. However, McCarthy’s presence on the roster complicates the decision.
Darnold faltered when the lights got brightest, though he was also a borderline MVP candidate for much of the year. He is a proven entity in the Vikings’ offense, while the exact opposite is true of McCarthy.
In the end, Darnold’s price tag may prove the deciding factor. Several insiders and websites like Spotrac have projected his market value at upwards of $40 million annually. That kind of contract demand could make Minnesota’s decision for them, though the Vikings will have less need of their salary cap space to fill positions of need if they trade McCarthy for multiple draft picks — including one inside the top 10.
