Another national analyst thinks Vikings should trade J.J. McCarthy

McCarthy missed the season with a meniscus injury.

Aug 10, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) takes the snap against the Las Vegas Raiders in the third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images / Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

Add ESPN's Mike Greenberg to the list of national commentators who have preposterously suggested the Minnesota Vikings should trade rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

In light of Sam Darnold's outstanding season, speculation has ramped up about what Minnesota will do at the quarterback position this offseason. The Vikings brought in Darnold last offseason to be the bridge to McCarthy, who they selected with the No. 10 pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Now, after throwing for over 4,300 yards, 35 touchdowns and leading the Vikings to a 14-3 record to get within a game of the No. 1 seed in the conference, questions about the Vikings' plan have become common fodder on national sports airwaves.

"I think it's a very risky role of the dice to let (Sam Darnold) get out of the building right now. They have the situation in their control," Greenberg said on The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN Tuesday when discussing what the Vikings should do this offseason. "I think Darnold has proved that, in this offense, he is more than good enough."

Greenberg then went down the route of saying he "liked" the idea of trading McCarthy.

"I think Sam Darnold has proved that he's more than good enough in this Vikings offense..

I think Minnesota will look to trade JJ McCarthy"@Espngreeny #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/nuNjqaSGkv

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 7, 2025

"J.J. McCarthy, if he were in this year's draft, he would be the No. 1 pick. So if you are a team that has a top-10 pick and needs a quarterback, why wouldn't you trade that to Minnesota," Greenberg said. "So, Minnesota can keep Darnold. They can franchise him if they don't feel 100% certain about him forever. Or they can try and make a deal with him, maybe he takes a slightly team-friendly one because he recognizes this has revitalized his entire career. And the Vikings can add a top-10 pick in the draft by trading McCarthy. I think that would make a lot of sense."

In an episode of the Purple Insider podcast, Matthew Coller and the Star Tribune's Ben Goessling shut down speculation the Vikings would look to trade McCarthy, with Goessling flat out saying, "They are not trading J.J. McCarthy."

"Not when he's going to be 22 years old. Not after just one year of Sam Darnold. Not when they spent such a high draft pick on him and so much time and effort," Coller added. "It's just not going to happen."

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero added to that line of thinking on Sunday saying, "There is no reason for the Vikings to consider trading their first-round pick, J.J. McCarthy, a young player that they really like."

Greenberg's points also don't seem to make as much sense as he thinks. If McCarthy would be the No. 1 pick in this year's draft, that gives the Vikings even more reason to keep him. Also, if the team doesn't feel "100% certain about him forever" as he says, why would they then trade away a young, cheap quarterback they have under team control? Kevin O'Connell publicly stated after one preseason game he felt the team has a "young franchise quarterback" in McCarthy.

"There are only two (quarterbacks) that are going to be drafted in the first half of the first round, Shadeur Sanders and Cam Ward," Greenberg said. "There are far more teams than that that are going to be looking for quarterbacks. So why wouldn't one of those teams give up one of those high picks for J.J. McCarthy?"

One of those teams might be willing to try for a trade, but that doesn't mean the Vikings see it the same way. Maybe even Greeny's New York Jets, who are most likely too far down at No. 7 to take either Sanders or Ward, will try and make a call, but the Vikings are likely to hang up quickly.

"If Darnold is just Josh Allen, if he is just Lamar Jackson, he's just that good, then eventually you can decide to trade J.J. McCarthy. But why would you do it after one year?" Coller said.