The Vikings have their quarterback situation sorted out, but J.J. McCarthy’s future is suddenly looking a lot less settled.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Minnesota has tapped Kyler Murray to start this season, which leaves McCarthy in a secondary role. For a third-year Michigan product who still hasn’t put together a true breakout stretch, that shift only adds fuel to the speculation around where he fits next.
McCarthy’s first season was wiped out by injury, and last year he appeared in 10 games. He finished with 1,632 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, a stat line that has kept the conversation around him from ever fully cooling off.
That’s why trade chatter has started to pick up, and one of the more interesting possibilities comes from Mark Powell in a FanSided feature. Powell pointed to Cleveland as a possible landing spot and made it clear he doesn’t see McCarthy as a clear long-term answer in Minnesota.
There are plenty of Vikings who should benefit from more stable QB play, but McCarthy is not one of them,
Powell’s proposed deal would send McCarthy and a 2027 seventh-round pick to the Browns in exchange for Dillon Gabriel and a 2027 fifth-round pick.
The Browns already have their own quarterback battle to sort through, with Deshaun Watson and second-year player Shedeur Sanders in the mix. Powell noted that Cleveland’s crowded room makes any McCarthy move tricky.
A Browns trade for McCarthy is complicated by the number of young quarterbacks already on the roster,
He also wrote that Watson appears to be the likeliest Week 1 starter, though Todd Monken has not officially announced that.
Deshaun Watson seems likely to start Week 1 for Cleveland, although Todd Monken has yet to make that official.
Powell added one more wrinkle, saying Sanders could be available if Minnesota wanted to make the offer more appealing, but also pointed out that the Vikings already have Carson Wentz as a dependable backup if they decide to move McCarthy.
Shedeur Sanders could be up for grabs if the Vikings wish to make this trade more interesting, but they already have Carson Wentz as a reliable backup should they deal McCarthy elsewhere.
It’s an intriguing idea on paper, but Cleveland may be too wrapped up in its own quarterback competition to dive into a deal like this right now.
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