NFL Trade Predictions Revive the Silly J.J. McCarthy, Chargers and Jim Harbaugh Idea

The torrid state of the Los Angeles Chargers quarterback room behind star Justin Herbert has left the door open for seemingly endless possibilities.

Trey Lance and DJ Uiagalelei had a miserable summer, at least in the public eye, to the point it was fair to wonder if the Chargers wouldn’t explore bringing in more competition for the reserve spots, even if it was just on the practice squad.

No dice so far. Uiagalelei is on the practice squad and Lance on the 53. It’s not easy to onboard new quarterbacks who don’t know the system after the summer. Herbert’s two backups always had an advantage because they know the offense, even if it’s a new one with coordinator Mike McDaniel now in town.

Still, the possibilities felt endless. And given some happenings elsewhere in the NFL, a name familiar to Chargers fans has once again been brought up:

J.J. McCarthy.

Chargers, J.J. McCarthy linked again

Chargers fans know the drill: J.J. McCarthy gets the Michigan linkage to Jim Harbaugh for the obvious reasons. It was briefly one of those silly talking-head points over the last few years, especially during quiet parts of the summer when nothing else was happening.

Notably, though, McCarthy wasn’t cut or traded in Minnesota around the time of final cuts as the Vikings went to Kyler Murray with Carson Wentz as the backup.

As such, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox just listed the Chargers trading for McCarthy in exchange for a 2028 fifth-rounder as one of his bold trade predictions before the regular season starts.

“The Los Angeles Chargers are one team that might be willing to take a chance on McCarthy,” Knox wrote. “L.A. has its starting quarterback in Justin Herbert, but it has a less-experienced backup in Trey Lance, who is also on a one-year deal.”

So, a little disclaimer: Back in 2024, Harbaugh was so not-happy with the backup situation that he went and traded for Taylor Heinicke at the end of August, just before the season.

Fast forward to now, maybe the Chargers aren’t thrilled and this type of proposed deal makes sense. Trading for a guy they can develop as a long-term backup would make some sense, if the guy coming to town is fine with, well, not having a shot at a starting job again. Wilder things have happened.

In the case of McCarthy, though, he’s had trouble staying healthy and playing well when healthy. And all the ridiculous media coverage the reunion would generate might be considered a distraction by Harbaugh and Co., so a similar trade for a guy not named McCarthy would probably make a lot more sense.

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