The Las Vegas Raiders' chances of landing Shedeur Sanders took an absolutely massive hit with their win over the Jacksonville Jaguars last week.
Now, Raiders fans will have to sweat out the last couple of games of the 2024 regular season, wondering if their beloved squad will be able to move up in the NFL Draft order.
But if push comes to shove and Las Vegas finds itself unable to land Sanders or Cam Ward in April, there may be another option emerging.
J.J. McCarthy.
The Minnesota Vikings selected McCarthy in the first round of the draft last spring, but a knee injury knocked him out of commission for his rookie campaign.
Vikings free-agent signing Sam Darnold stepped into the starting role and has actually had a Pro Bowl-caliber season, which has created quite the quarterback controversy in Minnesota.
Here's the catch: Darnold is slated to hit free agency in March, but Dianna Russini of The Athletic is reporting that the Vikings want him back.
"They spent a first-round pick on J.J. McCarthy last spring and Darnold is in for a big payday in March. Despite that, after conversations with a team source, one thing is clear: The Vikings want Darnold back in Minnesota for 2025," Russini wrote.
Could that open the door to a McCarthy trade?
Darnold is just 27 years old, so it's entirely possible that Minnesota could offer him a lucrative long-term deal. It has the cap space for it, and he has clearly developed quite the synergy with superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
In the event that the Vikings do retain Darnold, McCarthy suddenly becomes expendable, and that's where the Raiders can step in and attempt to consummate a trade.
Of course, this would ultimately depend on how much Las Vegas actually values McCarthy. After all, there were some who weren't exactly enamored with the Michigan product last spring.
But you have to figure that the Raiders would at least consider the idea if it were on the table, especially considering that their current quarterback situation is far from enviable and has made many Las Vegas fans miss the days of Derek Carr.
What a twist it would be if the Raiders ended up with McCarthy as their signal-caller in 2025.
