New J.J. McCarthy Trade Rumors Leak as Vikings Eye Roster Cuts After QB Demoted Behind Kyler, Wentz

It wasn't long ago the Minnesota Vikings surely saw J.J. McCarthy as a franchise building block after selecting him with the No. 10 overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft, but the quarterback's future with the team is reportedly in the air going into his third season.

"I've called around the league on trade possibilities for backup quarterbacks, his name really didn't come up a lot yesterday and this morning," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Sunday on SportsCenter. "But they have Carson Wentz, who was one of their backups last time. So they want to make Wentz the two and McCarthy the three, or do they want to move on? That's sort of the question that looms around the league right now."

With Kyler Murray already established as the starter, the Vikings have until Sunday's 6 p.m. ET roster cut deadline to decide whether they will cut McCarthy if they cannot find a trade.

The writing seemed to be on the wall for McCarthy's future as the Vikings' starter when they brought in Murray during the offseason.

Yes, there was a quarterback competition during training camp. But a team that truly believes in its top-10 draft pick as the quarterback for the next decade-plus likely wouldn't have brought in such an established name to compete.

Murray himself is looking to bounce back after injuries limited him to just five games last season and eight games in 2023. Still, he was a back-to-back Pro Bowler during the 2020 and 2021 campaigns and could elevate the team's offense simply by being an average quarterback.

And that may be all he needs to do given the overall talent surrounding him on a roster that includes Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Aaron Jones and T.J. Hockenson, among others.

Minnesota managed to go 9-8 last season while rotating through McCarthy, Wentz and Max Brosmer under center. That is not exactly a list of All-Pro candidates, but the talent around the signal-caller gave the team a high floor.

McCarthy completed just 57.6 percent of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last season. His QBR of 35.6 was 30th in the league, per Pro Football Reference, and his inconsistency may have cost the Vikings a playoff spot.

Not only that, it may have cost him a roster spot depending on what the NFC North team wants to do Sunday with Murray and Wentz as other options at the position.