It’s never too early though to start looking at trades that need to happen during this upcoming 2025 NFL offseason. A team that needs to be looking to make a trade in the offseason is the Minnesota Vikings, and it involves the quarterback position.

With the Vikings, they face challenges with determining their future quarterback with Sam Darnold set to hit free agency, and a rookie in JJ McCarthy coming off injury. With that in mind, they have a third option on the horizon that could be the most beneficial for them.

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The Minnesota Vikings Will Trade JJ McCarthy for Anthony Richardson

Again, the Vikings thought they would be getting their long-term answer at the quarterback position in the 2024 NFL Draft with JJ McCarthy. With him missing his entire rookie season due to a torn meniscus, it will take him some time to get up to playing speed once he does return in 2025. That is why the Vikings need to trade for Anthony Richardson in the 2025 NFL offseason.

Colts Will Trade Richardson

There was speculation of the Vikings being interested in Richardson during the 2023 NFL Draft, but they never even got the chance as the Indianapolis Colts selected him third overall. With Richardson, he was always going to be more of a project quarterback coming into the NFL with only one true season starting for the Florida Gators in college. With the Colts, they haven’t necessarily developed him correctly, which has led to accuracy issues and inconsistent play, ultimately resulting in him getting benched for Joe Flacco. The Colts’ need to consider moving on from Richardson and getting a quarterback that can come in and run the system effectively just like Flacco did.

Vikings Will Trade JJ McCarthy

That is where the Vikings come into play to create the ideal trade scenario. Richardson’s skill set would be ideal for Kevin O’Connell’s offensive scheme with his dual-threat ability. He has shown the skills to launch the ball down the field effortlessly and can extend plays outside the pocket with his legs. Not to mention having a wide receiver like Justin Jefferson would be ideal for Richardson to throw to. With this trade, it would send McCarthy to the Colts, where with his NFL-ready skills, and a team that has a strong ground game with Jonathan Taylor, it would be an ideal mix.

The Colts will most likely be able to get Flacco back on another one-year deal compared to the Vikings with Darnold. McCarthy is a great processor, and can identify defenses at a quick rate, which would make Flacco a great quarterback for him to learn from. That scenario also would allow McCarthy more time to recover from his surgery and become the answer for the Colts, while the Vikings get their answer at quarterback in Richardson, in which O’Connell can better tap into his potential.