Vikings Have No Reason to Consider a J.J. McCarthy Trade With Giants (And Here's Why)

The Minnesota Vikings shouldn't be in any hurry to trade quarterback J.J. McCarthy, but if the right situation comes along, a deal could be made for the third-year quarterback to play for a different team this season.

An opportunity for McCarthy could come from anywhere. There are teams that don't have a long-term answer at quarterback, and there are those who lack depth and need an upgrade to the backups on their roster.

The New York Giants are a team that doesn't fit any of those criteria and isn't in a position where they need to give up a draft pick or a quality player to acquire McCarthy's services for the 2026 NFL season.

The Giants are not a realistic trade partner to acquire J.J. McCarthy

The Giants have their long-term quarterback in place, Jaxson Dart. Dart sustained a knee injury on Monday night against the Los Angeles Rams that will potentially sideline him for the remainder of the season. He will return to the team as the starter when he is healthy.

New York prepared for a situation like this. They signed veteran quarterback Jameis Winston to a two-year, $13 million deal before this season to give them insurance at the position. That move looks smart now, since he could potentially be the starter for the rest of the season.

McCarthy is not currently in a position to challenge Winston for the starting job. The former University of Michigan signal caller lost preseason battles to Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz, making it surprising to think that he could beat out Winston.

For Minnesota, the team invested the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft in McCarthy, and any trade the Giants would be willing to offer would not be enough to give up on the 23-year-old quarterback.

Not only that, but the Vikings would probably prefer to deal McCarthy to an AFC team so they would have a smaller chance of being scheduled against his new team. He may not be a starter at the moment, but if he becomes one, it would look extremely bad for him to tear up a Brian Flores defense.

That said, a mid-round draft pick is probably all it would take for a team to trade for McCarthy. But the Giants don't own the rights to a fourth- or seventh-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, which greatly decreases New York's odds of parting with a pick in Round 5 or Round 6.

If the Giants call the Vikings about trading for McCarthy, Minnesota will likely listen to the offer, but it is extremely unlikely that the two sides can agree on a deal that would be beneficial enough for both sides to actually get accepted.

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