The conversation isn’t going away for a few more weeks if you are the Minnesota Vikings. The discussion around the future of Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy is set in stone for some while others continue to gauge different avenues the team can take.
The latest to discuss different possibilities for the Vikings is ESPN’s Benjamin Solak, and he makes a point we haven’t heard yet.
Solak wrote on ESPN that the team could extend Darnold after his impressive 17-week run during the regular season and then “quietly look to trade [J.J. McCarthy] ahead of a bad QB draft class and see if a needy team takes the bait.”
The top of the draft order is filled with quarterback-needy teams, and this 2025 draft class isn’t built to support them. First overall is the Titans who can make their choice of Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward. After that, teams like the Browns, Giants, and Raiders are all in need at the position.
McCarthy would easily be the number one quarterback in this class had he returned to Michigan and been in this class. While that increases his value it also means the Vikings are getting the top quarterback option on the market. While it makes sense from an asset standpoint, it also does not make much sense to trade away the best prospect available at the most important position.