The Minnesota Vikings are aiming for a competitive quarterback room this upcoming season. They recently signed Kyler Murray to a one-year deal, who has a legitimate shot at the starting job over JJ McCarthy. If that ends up happening and the Vikings become confident in Muraay, one former NFL QB-turned-analyst believes the team should consider trading McCarthy elsewhere to give him a better chance to succeed.
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McCarthy has had a rough start to his career. After missing the entire 2024 season with a torn meniscus as the 10th overall pick, he struggled to find rhythm. He showed flashes in 2025 but finished with just 11 touchdowns to 12 interceptions, along with a 57.6 completion percentage.
Injuries were again a factor, as McCarthy missed seven games, forcing the Vikings to turn to backups Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer. That likely played a role in the team bringing in Murray, who offers a more reliable option.
However, if Murray takes over the starting role, it could stall McCarthy’s development. That’s why former QB Robert Griffin III believes the young signal-caller would benefit from a move to another team where he can continue to develop.
“Because they brought in Kyler Murray, it makes me feel like the Minnesota Vikings should trade JJ McCarthy to give him an opportunity to go grow somewhere, learn somewhere, and develop. Without the pressure of playing right away,” RG3III stated on his podcast Outta Pocket.
If this were soccer, this problem would be easy to solve. The Vikings would loan out McCarthy to another team for a year and hope he develops as a starter. Meanwhile, Murray would give them an immediate chance to compete in 2026. Then, after the season, McCarthy could return, and Murray would find a new home.
But this isn’t soccer, and the Vikings will have to make a firm decision about their QB situation. Do they continue developing McCarthy, or roll the dice to see if Murray still has it? You can make a case for both approaches.
If the Vikings do decide to trade McCarthy, though, RGIII has a few ideal landing spots in mind.
“You talk about the Green Bay Packers with Matt LaFleur. Have him sit behind Jordan Love. Look at what that did for Malik Willis, who is now a multi-millionaire playing for the Miami Dolphins because he backed up Jordan Love, and he was able to develop after he left Tennessee, who didn’t really give him a shot,” professed the former QB.
The former Heisman Trophy-winner didn’t stop there. “You look at the Rams with Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford. I think for JJ McCarthy, getting a chance to sit behind Matthew Stafford for 1, 2 years and learn from Sean McVay, would be an incredible experience for him,” he added.
Both are excellent ideas. Love has missed two games in each of his last two seasons in Green Bay. Stafford is coming off an MVP season, but he will be 38 and is an injury risk any time he steps onto the field moving forward.
The Minnesota Vikings need to trade JJ McCarthy after signing Kyler Murray. pic.twitter.com/9iBj2Jvwoq
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) March 17, 2026
By the end of his monologue, RGIII stated how he truly feels about McCarthy.
“I’m a believer of JJ McCarthy. They call him ‘Nine’- his alter ego. He’s had a lot of doubters and a lot of haters. But you don’t bring in a talent like Kyler Murray if you truly believe in JJ McCarthy.”
There’s certainly still a ton of potential left in McCarthy; he just needs to tap into it. That’s why the Vikings have seemingly not felt the need to include him in trade talks ever since signing Murray. They know they’re in a good spot as of now with both QBs heading into training camp.
At the end of the day, it’s highly unlikely the Vikings trade McCarthy. He’s still under contract for two more seasons, and at an affordable price. If Murray doesn’t work out, they’re going to want JJ as insurance, since Kyler isn’t signed beyond ‘26. So, as much as what RG3 is saying makes sense, it just doesn’t seem like it will happen.
