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On Aug. 11, the Minnesota Vikings decided to call off the QB competition between J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray. The Vikings decided that Murray will be the team’s QB1 ahead of the 2026 NFL season and can start getting reps with the first team.
With Murray now the starter, the question is what happens with McCarthy, who now slides into the QB2 role. The former first-round pick could wait his turn for a chance, as Murray could underperform or an injury could open an opportunity.
However, could a team at some point needing a QB decide to give McCarthy a fresh start elsewhere? For Mark Powell of FanSided, the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets are two potential landing spots for the Vikings backup.
In an Aug. 11 article, Powell put together trade ideas involving the Browns and Jets that would allow for one of these teams to land McCarthy. As for Cleveland, Powell shared in his trade idea that the Browns would receive McCarthy and a 2027 seventh-round pick while the Vikings would get Dillon Gabriel and a 2027 fifth-round pick.
Regarding the Jets, in Powell’s trade idea, New York would get McCarthy while Minnesota would receive a 2027 fourth-round pick.
Last season with the Vikings, McCarthy had 310 pass snaps, leading to a 61.8 overall PFF grade. He also threw for 1,632 passing yards and 11 touchdowns against 12 interceptions, while recording 19 big-time throws and 15 turnover-worthy plays.
Could Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy Want Fresh Start in New York?
As for why this trade idea makes sense for the Jets, Powell isn’t buying into the idea of New York having to count on Geno Smith for a full season. A move to the Jets would present McCarthy with an opportunity to start and prove himself this season.
“Geno Smith is likely to start Week 1 for the New York Jets, but if they’d rather go the developmental route — or add another starting-caliber QB to the mix in case Smith falters for the second-straight season — McCarthy is available,” Powell wrote. “Right now, the Jets don’t have their true quarterback of the future on the roster.
“Adding McCarthy will not stop New York from selecting a quarterback in the coveted 2027 class, but it does give them options and could prevent the Jets from making a familiar mistake, and that’s throwing a young quarterback into the fire.”
Why Browns Trading for J.J. McCarthy Makes Sense
Meanwhile, regarding Cleveland, Powell explained why the deal makes sense for both parties and why he had two QBs switch places to get fresh starts.
“A Browns trade for McCarthy is complicated by the number of young quarterbacks already on the roster,” Powell added in his article. “Deshaun Watson seems likely to start Week 1 for Cleveland, although Todd Monken has yet to make that official.
“Shedeur Sanders could be up for grabs if the Vikings wish to make this trade more interesting, but they already have Carson Wentz as a reliable backup should they deal McCarthy elsewhere. This is where Gabriel comes in, who is trade bait in his own right. Gabriel started a handful of games last season and has even received some reps with the starters in training camp.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
