The Minnesota Vikings finished 9-8 last year despite one of the most erratic seasons you will ever see at the quarterback position. J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer. You just never knew what you were going to get with those three under center.
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But McCarthy did improve as the season went on. He finished the campaign with a 6-4 record as a starter. Still, that had a lot to do with Brian Flores’ elite defense and Minnesota’s strong group of skill-position players. The Vikings remain in win-now mode, which has led many to believe they do not want to wait for McCarthy to reach the level needed to truly contend in a tough NFC.
In fact, one report suggests they may try to engineer a blockbuster trade for unhappy Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow in the offseason.
Claim: The Vikings are prepared to give up on McCarthy and trade him, along with Pro Bowl edge rusher Jonathan Greenard and two first-round picks, for Burrow. The Bengals QB has expressed a waning love for the game in recent months, leading to trade speculation.
Source of the Claim: While this trade idea has been floated before, this is the first time a semi-reliable source has raised the possibility of such a move by Minnesota. This time, it is San Francisco 49ers SI beat writer Grant Cohn, who claims a source “close to the Vikings” says they are preparing to make that offer to the Bengals for Burrow.
RUMOR: VIKINGS TO PURSUE JOE BURROW
A source “close to the Vikings” told @grantcohn that the team is preparing to offer JJ McCarthy, Jonathan Greenard, and multiple first round picks to the Bengals this offseason for superstar QB Joe Burrow. pic.twitter.com/cqHnmEOqDo
— vikesinsider (@vikesinsider) January 23, 2026
Verdict: False. There is no real certainty here, and this reads like classic offseason rumor clickbait. Why Cohn, an insider for the 49ers, would have this kind of insider info about the Vikings is anyone’s guess. That was the first red flag for this report. Safe to say fans did not appreciate the engagement baiting either.
In fact, one fan shared a screenshot of a tweet from the New Orleans Saints official Twitter that reads: “Every day an aggregator account is going to try and rage bait you into thinking your team is going to do something they won’t do. It’s important you don’t take the bait.”
Certainly words to live by in 2026.
“What the Bengals are doing with the offer,” tweeted one fan with a gif of Peter Griffin from Family Guy wiping his buttocks.
“Finally, they’re throwing other top-tier QBs in these random a** trade rumors.,” said another.
“You might as well post that you are going to pursue Scarlett Johansson, because either way it’s not gonna happen,” joked a fourth X user.
Vikings fans may want to dream about Joe Burrow reuniting with their beloved Justin Jefferson. But as of right now, there is no concrete evidence that Minnesota is even considering such a move.
