NFL rumors: JJ McCarthy a top trade candidate amid Sam Darnold emergence
01/02/2025 06:24 PM
Not many expected Sam Darnold to revive his career the way he did in 2024, including the Minnesota Vikings, who traded up to select JJ McCarthy with the No. 10 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. However, with the team now expected to extend Darnold, McCarthy might have become available.
With several teams around the league in desperate need of a quarterback, the Vikings are expected to field calls for the young signal-caller, Adam Schefter reported. Minnesota has not openly made McCarthy available but is now rumored to be open to listening to offers for their prized rookie.
“With the limited quarterback draft class, I definitely think teams will be checking in with the Vikings to see if they have any interest in trading JJ McCarthy,” Schefter said. “They may say they don’t and that’s the end of it… JJ McCarthy would have been a top, if not the top, quarterback of this draft.”
"JJ McCarthy would've been a top if not THE top QB in this draft."@AdamSchefter says teams will be calling the @Vikings to inquire about their rookie QB this offseason pic.twitter.com/ccgautztGb
— ESPN Radio (@ESPNRadio) January 1, 2025
McCarthy has not taken an official NFL snap and sat out his entire rookie season with a torn ACL. Before suffering the injury, he impressed in the preseason after rising up the draft boards by leading Michigan to a 15-0 national championship season in college.
Of the quarterbacks available in the 2025 NFL Draft, only Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Miami’s Cam Ward are considered prioritized prospects. However, neither has had the prestige surrounding them that would cause fans to desperately want their teams to tank for them.
JJ McCarthy’s college stats
Unlike the traditional NFL prospect, McCarthy did not have stats that jump off any page in college. Instead, his most impressive stat was his record as a starter. Through three years in Ann Arbor, he went 27-1, only losing to TCU in the 2022 College Football Playoff Fiesta Bowl.
As a junior, McCarthy threw for a career-high 2,991 yards with 22 touchdowns and four interceptions. His numbers were nearly identical to his previous season, in which he notched 2,719 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and five interceptions. Throughout his entire collegiate career, McCarthy only threw 49 touchdowns to just 11 total interceptions.
Despite the low passing volume, scouts were impressed with his leadership and arm talent on film. Many believed that the former four-star recruit’s elite talent was hidden behind Jim Harbaugh’s run-heavy offense that featured an elite offensive line and loaded backfield. During the 2023 season, Michigan ran for 2,536 rushing yards as a team and punched in 40 touchdowns on the ground.
Even as he rides the bench, McCarthy’s leadership has been evident from the sidelines. The rookie has continued to praise Sam Darnold and head coach Kevin O’Connell on social media despite his current situation. Most recently, McCarthy tweeted that he “loves this team” just as trade rumors surfaced.
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