So, what do you all think? Do you really think they would trade him? Do you think they should? I say, no to both.

(BTW ~ He's not playing tonight because he said he doesn't feel comfortable enough to play.)

Has McCarthy played his final game with the Vikings?https://t.co/4OvKcwT1lZ

— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) August 28, 2026

https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-sports/3-big-questions-about-vikings-j-j-mccarthy-as-a-potential-trade-candidate

3 big questions about Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy as a potential trade candidate

Does it make sense for the Vikings to trade McCarthy? And if so, what could that look like?

As of this writing, it’s not yet clear if J.J. McCarthy will be suiting up for the Vikings’ final preseason game on Friday night in Denver (8 p.m. CT). McCarthy got banged up in last week’s game against the Ravens, then missed practice on Wednesday in an effort to hopefully get him healthy for the game.

Update 5:30 p.m. — According to The Athletic’s Alec Lewis, McCarthy will not play in the team’s preseason final on Friday. Lewis reported that McCarthy “was not comfortable enough to go” against the Broncos, with his ankle injury considered day to day.

Whether he plays or not, it’s fair to wonder if McCarthy will be on the Vikings’ roster this time next week. Not only did he lose the starting quarterback job to Kyler Murray, he also seems likely to have lost the backup job to Carson Wentz, who has been far more effective during the first two preseason contests.

It wouldn’t make any sense for the Vikings to outright cut McCarthy when rosters are trimmed from 90 to 53 on Sunday. That would lead to plenty of dead money and would diminish Minnesota’s depth at a crucial position without any benefit. But if the situation has reached a point where both sides feel it’s best to move on, a trade could be a possibility.

Here are three questions worth asking about McCarthy as a theoretical trade candidate.

1. Should the Vikings trade him?

Generally speaking, my answer to this would be no. On paper, there’s no harm in keeping McCarthy around as the No. 3 quarterback. The Vikings used three different starting quarterbacks last year and four during the 2023 season. Both Murray and Wentz are coming off seasons where they missed a big chunk of time to injury. Keeping McCarthy around protects against the possibility of having to play Max Brosmer ever again.

With that said, there are a couple scenarios that could make a McCarthy trade more understandable. One would be if he becomes a problem in the locker room. I don’t expect this to be the case, but if McCarthy is sulking and not getting along with Murray, it might be a net positive to simply move on. The other would be if the Vikings are completely out on McCarthy’s future — even as a possible QB2 — and could get something of significance in return. That leads into our next question.

2. What could he fetch in return?

This would be the big question if the Vikings do decide to make McCarthy available. Given where his stock is right now after last season’s struggles and two underwhelming preseason performances, it’s hard to imagine the Vikings getting anything more than a sixth-round pick back for McCarthy. And if that’s the case, it may not be worth losing him as a depth option at QB.

Maybe the Vikings could get more. Three years ago, Trey Lance was traded from the 49ers to the Cowboys for a fourth-round pick after just four starts for San Francisco. But Lance was the No. 3 pick in his draft (McCarthy was No. 10) and had far fewer career pass attempts (and thus, you could argue, less bad tape out there). McCarthy could perhaps boost his trade value if he plays on Friday and plays well, even against reserve Broncos defenders.

One intriguing idea the Vikings could perhaps explore would be swapping McCarthy for a different team’s unwanted young quarterback. That would give the Vikings a new QB3 as a barrier in front of Brosmer and provide a change of scenery for both that player and McCarthy. Who that might be is unclear. Speculatively, candidates could include Anthony Richardson (Colts), the aforementioned Lance (Chargers), former Viking Brett Rypien (Texans), Will Levis (Titans), or Carter Bradley (Jaguars).

3. What teams might be interested?

This question ties into the last one. If the Vikings were to get something notable back for McCarthy, a team would have to have real interest in acquiring him and seeing if he benefits from a fresh start. Any team could potentially talk themselves into McCarthy’s upside, but there are a few where we can at least point to connections with the former Michigan star.

The obvious one is the Chargers and head coach Jim Harbaugh, McCarthy’s college coach. The Ravens are coached by former Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. The Jaguars’ offensive coordinator is Grant Udinski, who was on the Vikings’ staff during McCarthy’s rookie year. The Lions play in the same state as the Wolverines and watched McCarthy play one of his best games last season at Ford Field.

Outside of those teams, your guess is as good as ours.