Why the Vikings Might Not Rush to Trade JJ McCarthy, Even After Losing QB1 Job to Kyler Murray
The Minnesota Vikings ended their quarterback competition on Tuesday, naming Kyler Murray the starter over J.J. McCarthy heading into the 2026 season, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The move immediately raised an obvious follow-up question around the NFL: does Minnesota now look to trade McCarthy, or does it hold onto the former first-round pick?
According to ESPN’s Peter Schrager, the answer probably isn’t as simple as moving on. Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show, Schrager pointed to Minnesota’s recent quarterback history as a reason the front office may proceed carefully with McCarthy rather than shipping him out.
“Less than 12 months ago, I was on the sidelines on Monday Night Football when J.J. McCarthy beat the Bears, and Kevin O’Connell was doing flips on the sideline. And in the locker room, they were acting as if J.J. McCarthy was the savior. Things change in this league,” Schrager said. “And the same team that let Sam Darnold walk out the building, the same team that let Daniel Jones out the building, I think they would be a little more cautious about letting J.J. McCarthy walk out the building and just say, if he’s under contract, it’s good to have J.J. McCarthy on this team.”
Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) posted the exchange on X on August 11, 2026: https://x.com/PatMcAfeeShow/status/2087231615453818895
Why Minnesota Might Hold Onto McCarthy
The comparison Schrager draws isn’t abstract. Minnesota let Kirk Cousins walk in free agency, moved on from Sam Darnold after one strong season, and cut Daniel Jones loose as well — three straight offseasons of quarterback turnover before landing on McCarthy in the 2024 draft. That pattern is exactly why some in Minnesota’s building may be reluctant to give up on McCarthy just eight months after he beat Chicago on Monday Night Football and O’Connell celebrated on the sideline.
There’s also a financial and roster-management case for patience. McCarthy is still on his rookie contract, which runs through 2027 with a fifth-year option decision looming in 2028, according to Pro Football Reference. That contract status means Minnesota isn’t paying a premium to keep him around as insurance, and it removes any urgency to cash him in now while his trade value is depressed.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell reinforced that idea directly. “As he knows, he’s holding the pen on his story and we’re going to support him and try to just help him continue to improve as a young player in the most difficult position in sports,” O’Connell said, per Larry Brown Sports‘ report on ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. That’s not a farewell message. It’s the kind of comment teams make when they still see long-term value in a player, even one who just got benched.
The Numbers Behind the Decision
McCarthy’s rookie season ended before it started — a torn meniscus in the 2024 preseason wiped out his entire first year. He finally got his shot in 2025, starting 10 games and going 6-4 as Minnesota’s QB1. The tape, though, was uneven enough that Murray’s arrival changed the equation fast.
| Category | J.J. McCarthy (2025) |
|---|---|
| Record as starter | 6-4 |
| Completion percentage | 57.6% (140-of-243) |
| Passing yards | 1,632 |
| Touchdowns – Interceptions | 11 – 12 |
| Passer rating | 72.6 |
| Rushing yards / TDs | 181 yards, 4 TDs |
Those numbers, sourced from Pro Football Reference, explain why Minnesota went out and added a proven veteran this offseason rather than simply handing McCarthy the job for a second straight year. Murray, a former No. 1 overall pick with an MVP-caliber ceiling when healthy, signed with the Vikings on a one-year deal after Arizona moved on, according to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert.
McCarthy isn’t going anywhere immediately, either. Both quarterbacks are expected to play Saturday when the Vikings open the preseason at the New York Giants, per ESPN — a sign the team still wants to see him on the field even after settling the starting job.
What Happens Next
None of this guarantees McCarthy finishes the season in Minnesota. Analysts around the league have floated trade scenarios given his first-round pedigree and the number of quarterback-needy teams around the NFL. But nothing suggests the Vikings are actively shopping him, and Schrager’s larger point stands: there’s little organizational upside in dealing a 23-year-old on a cheap rookie deal just because he lost a competition to a more established veteran on a one-year prove-it contract.
For now, McCarthy remains QB2 behind Murray, with backup Carson Wentz also on the roster. Whether that changes likely depends less on this week’s decision and more on how Murray performs once the games start counting.
