The New York Jets have been floated as a possible destination for Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy, with NFL analyst Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report calling New York an ideal landing spot.
Knox’s case is simple: if McCarthy doesn’t win the Vikings’ starting job next season, the Jets should be ready to make a move. He pointed to the possibility that McCarthy could still take the job in camp, but said the situation changes if that doesn’t happen.
"To be fair, there's still a chance that McCarthy can claim the Vikings' starting gig in camp. If he can't, however, Kyler Murray may never relinquish it, and McCarthy may find himself out of opportunities in Minnesota," Knox wrote. "If that occurs, he should hope to land with another team that doesn't have a clear long-term QB answer sooner than later."
McCarthy’s first season of action in Minnesota came last year after he missed his entire rookie campaign with a knee injury. In 10 games, the Michigan product threw for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while completing 57.6% of his passes.
The Jets’ current quarterback setup already has Geno Smith penciled in as the starter for 2026. Cade Klubnik is set to battle Brady Cook and Bailey Zappe for the No. 2 job. If Minnesota goes with Murray over McCarthy, New York could look at McCarthy as another young arm to bring into that competition.
The logic behind that kind of move is straightforward: more competition usually means more urgency in camp.
Knox also pointed to examples like Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield finding new life with different teams, suggesting McCarthy could follow a similar path. He noted that McCarthy was a college star and said the talent is there.
Smith is trying to revive his career in his second run with the Jets after leading the NFL in interceptions last season with the Las Vegas Raiders. His best NFL stretch came with the Seattle Seahawks in 2022 and 2023, when he made the Pro Bowl in both seasons and won the 2022 AP Comeback Player of the Year Award.
And if Smith doesn’t get things going, the expectation is that the Jets would turn to Klubnik. Adding McCarthy would give New York two young quarterbacks with something to prove, and that, as the piece suggests, could help the team later on.
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