Could the New York Jets trade for Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy?
The Minnesota Vikings signed former Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray this offseason, which means J.J. McCarthy could be traded.
Even though the New York Jets acquired Geno Smith from the Las Vegas Raiders, NFL analyst Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report has listed New York as a potential trade partner with Minnesota for McCarthy.
"Will McCarthy ever be a viable NFL starter? That remains unclear," Davenport wrote. "With at least two years left on his rookie deal, a quarterback-needy team might still consider offering a second-round pick to the Vikings for the 23-year-old, even if that level of investment would be risky and could backfire—as many aggressive QB swings have for struggling franchises."
McCarthy appeared in 10 games for the Vikings last season after missing his entire rookie campaign because of a knee injury. The Michigan product put up 1,632 passing yards, 11 passing touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He completed 57.6% of his passes.
Smith will start for New York in 2026, while Brady Cook is the No. 2 QB and Bailey Zappe is the No. 3 QB. The Jets have the second pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. If they don't take a QB with the second pick, they could use the 16th pick on a signal caller.
Is McCarthy better than Smith? Maybe. Maybe not. He's got more upside, though, than Cook and Zappe. If the Jets can get McCarthy for cheap, it might be worth a flier trade.
Smith led the league in interceptions last season with 17 and went just 2-13. The Raiders parted ways with him after just one season. If Smith plays poorly in 2026, do the Jets really wanna put Cook or Zappe in? McCarthy would be a better option in that scenario.
Smith enters next season with 22,168 passing yards, 124 passing touchdowns and 89 career interceptions in the NFL. His starting record is 42-56-0.
We saw Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield flourish with new teams. Maybe that could happen with McCarthy. After all, he was a star in college. The talent is there.
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