As many expected, the quarterback situation for the Minnesota Vikings this offseason saw a change, as Kyler Murray signed a one-year deal. The idea was to have him compete with J.J. McCarthy for the starting spot. However, many believe it’s already written in stone that Murray will be starting in 2026.
What does this mean for McCarthy? Could Minnesota look to trade the third-year quarterback? ESPN’s Dan Graziano thinks this would be a foolish decision on the part of the Vikings:
“Still, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to trade him. The Vikings have already paid 70% of McCarthy’s rookie contract. There’s no way they could get anything in return that remotely approaches what they spent in terms of draft capital to acquire him in the first place. They’re less than a year removed from believing he could be their starter, not just now but for years to come. And it’s not like Murray is some automatic fix, either. He has had one fully healthy season in the past five, and the Cardinals are paying him almost $36 million this year to play for another team.”
2026 will be massive for the Vikings franchise, but McCarthy most of all.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Dan Graziano doesn’t believe the Vikings should trade J.J. McCarthy