Speculation is growing that the Minnesota Vikings may try to acquire a quarterback from a top AFC team after losing rookie JJ McCarthy for the season.
On Wednesday, it was reported that JJ McCarthy will miss his entire rookie year after undergoing surgery to repair the torn meniscus in his right knee. That leaves Sam Darnold (a shoo-in to start Week 1), Jaren Hall and Nick Mullens in the Minnesota quarterback room.
Don’t forget that after losing Teddy Bridgewater for the entire season in 2016 with a knee injury, the Vikings made a desperate trade for then-Philadelphia Eagles QB Sam Bradford.
Could Minnesota follow a similar path eight years later after losing JJ McCarthy for the entire 2024 season?
There’s buzz that the Vikings could contact the Cleveland Browns to see if any of their quarterbacks could be available. Deshaun Watson is locked in as the starter, with 2019 passing yards leader Jameis Winston, former Pro Bowler Tyler Huntley and sophomore Dorian Thompson-Robinson rounding out the QB depth chart.
Barry Shuck of the Browns’ Dawgs By Nature SB Nation site pondered the idea of Minnesota trading for one of Cleveland’s QBs in the wake of JJ McCarthy’s injury:
“With the Vikings in town this week, they will have full access to all four of the Browns quarterbacks. And Cleveland can only keep three. Whoever they release on the final cutdown day, that player will assuredly be snatched up on the waiver wire.
The Browns are going to have to release at least one quarterback eventually. So, why not go ahead and lend a hand to Minnesota and trade a quarterback, and get something of value in return?”
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Additionally, the NFL Notifications X/Twitter account reports hat Minny has contacted Cleveland to see if any of their backup QBs are available:
The Browns and Vikings held joint practice sessions this week and will square off tomorrow evening in preseason action (4:25 p.m. EST). So the Vikings can do their homework on Cleveland’s backups and then decide if they want to make a play for one.
Vikings Need To Find A New QB With JJ McCarthy Sidelined
The Vikings are playing with fire if they think that Darnold can be the solution. The 2018 first-round pick is on his fourth team in five years for a reason. He simply hasn’t cut it as a starter up to this point.
Minnesota can’t afford to risk wasting another year of Justin Jefferson’s prime. Their 2023 campaign was lost after failing to find a suitable backup to replace Kirk Cousins following his season-ending injury, so it’s imperative they find a quality QB2 who can take over in case Darnold struggles.
