The Minnesota Vikings have options when it comes to the franchise's future at quarterback.
Among those options is to ink current starter and 27-year-old Pro Bowler Sam Darnold to a long-term deal. That, however, would probably mean the trade block for rookie signal caller J.J. McCarthy come the offseason.
Trading McCarthy would be a bittersweet outcome after the team selected the national championship-winning QB out of Michigan with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
However, it would also indicate that head coach Kevin O'Connell is convinced that Darnold's near-MVP level of play this season is sustainable, meaning that the team has found its quarterback of the future.
It could also mean a first-round draft pick, plus a whole lot more, in return for McCarthy, who ESPN's Adam Schefter said recently would probably command more in trade than what the Vikings spent in draft capital to acquire him. Schefter added that is true even despite McCarthy suffering a knee injury over the summer and missing the entirety of his rookie campaign.
With that as context, FanDuel Sportsbook pitched a trade scenario on Thursday, Jan. 2, that would see Minnesota flip McCarthy to the struggling New York Jets -- who ironically drafted Darnold No. 3 overall in 2018 -- in return for a massive haul.
— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) January 2, 2025The Jets move on from Aaron Rodgers and the Vikings commit to Sam Darnold
Should New York and Minnesota make this move to send JJ McCarthy to the Big Apple? #JetUp | #SKOLpic.twitter.com/PxJNTLA9Vf
That return would include the Jets' first-round selection in 2025, currently No. 7 overall, as well as a fourth-round pick next April. The Vikings would also receive a second-round pick in 2027 and running back Braelon Allen as either a complement to veteran Aaron Jones or his replacement next season.
A trade isn't the only path forward. Minnesota could keep McCarthy and let Darnold walk in free agency, though that would be letting arguably the most valuable player potentially available this offseason skip away from one of the best teams in the NFL for absolutely nothing, which is wildly unlikely.
The Vikings could also franchise Darnold for a little north of $40 million next year and keep both quarterbacks on the roster in a move reminiscent of the play the Los Angeles Chargers (then of San Diego) made involving Drew Brees and Phillip Rivers in 2005. In that case, McCarthy would remain on Minnesota's roster for at least one more season.
However, if the Vikings envision trading McCarthy as a likelihood at some point down the road, striking now while the iron is hot is probably how the organization can recoup the most value.
