The Minnesota Vikings have some big decisions to make this upcoming offseason, and one of them will be whether they want to trade quarterback JJ McCarthy. If they were to go that route, Adam Schefter believes they would receive a massive haul.
Sam Darnold is set to become a free agent at the end of the season. After putting together a Pro Bowl year, the 27-year-old has positioned himself to land a massive contract in free agency. The Vikings also have the option of using the franchise tag on Darnold, which would pay him more than $40 million in 2025.
During a Wednesday appearance on ESPN Radio’s “Unsportsmanlike,” Schefter was asked what the asking price might be for McCarthy if the Vikings decided to shop the former Michigan star. Schefter boldly stated that McCarthy would have been the best quarterback in the 2025 draft had he come out of college this year.
“Do I think teams will explore that option that you just raised here already? Of course. Absolutely, 100 percent, because JJ McCarthy would have been a top — if not the top — quarterback prospect in this draft,” Schefter said. “And yes he’s coming off the ACL, so what, it doesn’t really matter. If the Vikings decided that they wanted to trade him, which I don’t know that they will, I believe they would get back everything that they put into him and then some. It would be a (first-round pick) and then some.”
“JJ McCarthy would’ve been a top if not THE top QB in this draft.”@AdamSchefter says teams will be calling the @Vikings to inquire about their rookie QB this offseason 👀 pic.twitter.com/ccgautztGb
— ESPN Radio (@ESPNRadio) January 1, 2025
The 2024 draft was very deep at quarterback. The Vikings moved up from 11th overall to 10th overall to select McCarthy, and he was the fifth QB taken behind Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and Michael Penix Jr.
This year, Shedeur Sanders and Cameron Ward are viewed as the only consensus first-round quarterback prospects. Schefter believes McCarthy would be drafted ahead of both of them if McCarthy were in the 2025 draft.
The Vikings are clearly in a position of strength. Darnold has led them to a 14-2 record this season and potential No. 1 seed in the NFC. They may decide to franchise tag him and then reevaluate the McCarthy situation a year from now. But if Minnesota wants to fully commit to Darnold and trade McCarthy, it sounds like there is at least another first-round draft pick in it for them.
