The Minnesota Vikings have traded away former first-round quarterback JJ McCarthy after two injury-plagued seasons.
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The NFC North team announced the news on Monday, one day after defeating the Buccaneers 23-16. The Vikings said that they have traded McCarthy to the Giants in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round pick.
This trade between the two NFC teams depends on McCarthy being able to pass a physical. If it goes through as planned, McCarthy will provide depth to a team that just lost starter Jaxson Dart for the regular season due to knee injury.
McCarthy, 23, won a National Championship with the University of Michigan while playing under head coach Jim Harbaugh. He landed with the Vikings as the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but he missed his entire rookie season with a knee injury suffered in the preseason.
Last season, the Vikings named McCarthy the starter after letting Sam Darnold go in free agency. The former Michigan quarterback made his debut in Week 1 against the Bears, and he led the Vikings to a comeback win after accounting for three total touchdowns.
The rest of the 2025 season did not progress in the same manner. McCarthy only played in 10 games due to multiple injuries. He went 6-4 as a starter while throwing for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He rushed for another four scores.
McCarthy did not provide the consistency under center that the team sought, so the Vikings brought in Kyler Murray as a free agent to compete for the starting job. Murray won the gig and then the team named veteran Carson Wentz the backup over McCarthy.
This pair of decisions left McCarthy in limbo, and the reports began circulating about a possible move to another team via trade. Though the young quarterback continued to remain involved with the team while celebrating a 3-0 start.
That trade has now happened, and McCarthy will head to the Giants. He will now play for John Harbaugh, the brother of his former college head coach.
