The Minnesota Vikings have put all of their eggs in the JJ McCarthy basket, but to be quite frank, the eggs have been cracking slowly ever since he tore his ACL last season.
The Vikings are currently enduring a 3-4 season that looks to be heading towards the dumps, and they haven’t gotten any sort of quality result out of their quarterback.
The Las Vegas Raiders are looking to compete very soon with the aging Pete Carroll as head coach, but the problem is their quarterback Geno Smith is not the answer. Here’s why Las Vegas should call Minnesota about McCarthy, and why they should list. This is a prediction, not a report.
Las Vegas Raiders Trade Proposal for JJ McCarthy
- Las Vegas Raiders Receive: QB JJ McCarthy
- Minnesota Vikings Receive: 2026 LV 2nd Rounder & 2027 LV 2nd Rounder
Raiders Options for Franchise Quarterback
Listen, for this proposal I totally understand why Vikings fans may be pissed because they still believe in McCarthy, and I don’t disagree, but for Raiders fans, there is no world where they shouldn’t AT LEAST call Minnesota to ask about McCarthy’s availability.
The current QB situation is horrid because Geno Smith has performed like a Bottom-5 QB, and has two more years left on his contract at 35 years old. The good thing for Las Vegas is the fact there’s an “Out” in his contract which would allow the Raiders to cut him this offseason for just an $18 million cap hit or next offseason for free.
The options for Las Vegas this offseason include trading for Tua Tagovailoa, Kyler Murray, Mac Jones, or Anthony Richardson. The free agency well is extremely poor with guys like Zach Wilson, Marcus Mariota, and Russell Wilson.
The most likely option would be hitting the NFL Draft in the first round for a quarterback like Ty Simpson or Fernando Mendoza. This is the decision that Las Vegas should be weighing when it comes to this potential trade because McCarthy still has potential that is worthy of a first round selection.
McCarthy Could Be in a Trey Lance Situation
The Trey Lance situation in San Francisco was unique but also eye opening to the potentially wild moves that NFL teams can make. San Francisco traded up in the 2020 NFL Draft to select Trey Lance with the third overall pick, but they traded him away just two seasons after that decision.
While this situation is far too complex to discuss here, the long story short is the 49ers swung and missed on Trey Lance, but they found another avenue in Brock Purdy.
The Vikings don’t currently have their Brock Purdy, but they very well could have a Trey Lance on their hands. Whether they give Max Brosmer a shot and he proves himself, or Minnesota takes a swing on a Kyler Murray, Tua Tagovailoa, or Matthew Stafford after this season, Kevin O’Connell and company could look elsewhere.
They likely will keep giving their first rounder a shot to prove himself, but don’t be surprised if McCarthy has a poor end to the 2025-2026 season, that the Vikings are quietly in the market for a quarterback.
JJ McCarthy Injury
McCarthy suffered a high-ankle sprain in Week 2 of the 2025 NFL season (vs. Atlanta Falcons) and was ruled out for roughly two to four weeks, but it’s been extended longer.
The Minnesota Vikings coaching staff emphasized the importance of not rushing his return, with head coach Kevin O’Connell saying, “If J.J. is healthy, J.J. will play,” pointing to the team’s cautious approach. This is another part of this trade proposal because this undoubtedly feels like a “soft benching” to where the team was more confident in an injured Wentz than McCarthy.
During his absence, McCarthy has missed five of their seven games, but now with Carson Wentz out for the season, the Vikings are forced to play McCarthy.
JJ McCarthy Stats
In his first extended action of the 2025 season, McCarthy’s numbers reflect both promise and adjustment. Over his first two appearances, he completed 24 of 41 passes (58.5 %) for 301 yards, with 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Another problem in that Falcons game was his three fumbles.
His passer rating is shown at 67.2, which stands as a modest benchmark for a young quarterback facing expectations in a starting role. Beyond pure passing numbers, McCarthy ran for approximately 50 yards and one rushing touchdown, which will have to be a crucial part of his game.
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