The Minnesota Vikings traded up in the 2024 NFL Draft to draft J.J. McCarthy with the 10th overall pick. He was viewed as the long-term replacement for Kirk Cousins, who had signed with the Atlanta Falcons in free agency.
The Vikings also brought in Sam Darnold on a one-year deal, hoping he would provide competition to McCarthy for the starting quarterback role. Unfortunately, the rookie suffered a season-ending knee injury before the start of the season. Darnold got the opportunity to start and has not looked back since then.
The Vikings could sign the 27-year-old quarterback to a contract extension after this season. Given how Darnold has played, Colin Cowherd recently suggested the possibility of the NFC North team trading McCarthy.
Colin Cowherd Discusses Vikings Trading J.J. McCarthy
In a recent segment on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” the Fox Sports analyst discussed how the Seattle Seahawks and Vikings should work on a trade for McCarthy. Since the upcoming draft class seemingly has a limited supply of highly touted quarterbacks, with Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders highlighting the class, Cowherd thinks the Seahawks acquiring the Vikings rookie would be a good move.
“Why did the Minnesota Vikings in November bring in Daniel Jones? Why? Because maybe they were ahead of us,” Cowherd said. “The Vikings don’t have a second-round pick, a third-round pick, or a fourth-round pick. It’s a terrible quarterback class. Seattle — you think they’re going to go back with Geno Smith again? They can get J.J. McCarthy for a second and a fourth, maybe a second, fourth, and fifth.”
Cowherd mentioned that the Vikings need draft picks to compete with the Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, and Chicago Bears in terms of roster quality. He said that in a weak draft, McCarthy could fetch them a decent amount of draft capital, which will help Minnesota build on this season’s success.
.@ColinCowherd says the Seahawks should trade for J.J. McCarthy:
"If I ran Seattle… I'd make the deal tomorrow." pic.twitter.com/SHL7nqKxU7
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) January 2, 2025
“Seattle is drafting 18th. They need a quarterback because they got a Super Bowl roster,” added Cowherd. “I totally get Seattle saying, ‘We’re going to have to start paying some of these stars we have; let’s roll it with J.J. McCarthy.’ If I ran Seattle, John Schneider [Seahawks GM], I’d make the deal tomorrow. Reset the clock. J.J. McCarthy.”
Cowherd added that McCarthy already had two surgeries before playing his first game in the NFL. Since the Vikings already have a solid backup in Jones, they can afford to part ways with McCarthy and continue to rely on Darnold.
The Vikings are 14-2 and could win the NFC North and secure the first seed in the NFC with a win against the Lions in Week 18. Darnold is an MVP candidate, and letting him leave in free agency will not be a wise decision for the franchise, considering nobody knows how McCarthy will look in the NFL.
Seahawks Need a Big Move To Contend Next Season
Geno Smith is undoubtedly a good quarterback, but his ceiling feels like a known range. He has done well keeping the Seahawks in the mix after Russell Wilson’s departure, but can the franchise win a Super Bowl with him?
Smith will be a free agent in 2026, and the franchise should start looking at other options. The Seahawks have had nine-win seasons for the last three years. Unless they tear down the roster or make a big move regarding the quarterback situation, they may find themselves in a similar position going forward.
Heading into Week 18, the Seahawks are positioned to draft with the 18th overall pick, according to the latest NFL draft order, and they may not be able to get a quality quarterback at that spot. Seattle may not think any of the quarterbacks in the upcoming draft class are impressive enough to spend a fortune on trading up, so an option like McCarthy makes sense for them.
Whether the Vikings trade their rookie quarterback remains to be seen, but the Seahawks must make a big move to contend next year. Per Spotrac, Seattle is already over $5.3 million in cap space for next year and might need to move some of its players.
With the emergence of Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the Seahawks could shop other players like DK Metcalf, who will be in the final year of his deal next season. Both Smith and Metcalf will be free agents in 2026, so there’s a possibility the team might run it back once again. However, if they do that, they must improve their offense line.