Despite letting former quarterback Sam Darold hit the free agent market, the Minnesota Vikings will likely cut JJ McCarthy before the 2025 regular season. One NFL analyst believes the Vikings are on the verge of releasing the former draft pick after missing the entire campaign last year. It’ll be interesting to see what the team will do, but they need a solid quarterback, as they saw Darnold bring them to limits they’ve never seen in a bridge signal-caller. The pressure is on the Vikings this year to see what they will do, and even though the team may not move on immediately, it’s still possible that it’s coming sooner rather than later.
Originally selected as a No. 10 pick, the former Michigan product led the Wolverines to an undefeated season in 2022, leading them to a national championship. The quarterback finished his college career with just one loss, so it’s clear that it was just bad timing that he had his season-ending injury. Typically, an NFL team needs at least two full seasons to decide if they will keep the current quarterback on their roster. This is what they’ve yet to see from McCarthy, and it will be very surprising if the Vikings move on earlier than anticipated.
If they undergo a losing season this year, then expect these three teams to push for a possible trade even before the season.
Shocking: Vikings Expected to Cut 2024 Draft Pick JJ McCarthy – 3 Logical Fits
Possible Destinations
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are in a tough spot this upcoming season after undergoing one of the most hectic offseasons in organizational history. Former quarterback Derek Carr decided to announce his retirement due to injury concerns, so now it’s on 2025 draft pick Tyler Shough and last year’s pick, Spencer Rattler, to battle it out for the starting job. It’s Rattler’s position up for grabs, as many anticipate he may win the starting duties since he has experience as a quarterback on this team from last year under his belt.
Despite that, they can’t afford to depend on Rattler if he doesn’t perform up to standards. They need a proven signal-caller who can at least give them a winning season this year. Even though JJ McCarthy has yet to impress, he’s probably the better quarterback in this situation. He won’t single-handedly win a Super Bowl in his first year with the Saints, but he could lead them at least to a potential wild-card.
Carolina Panthers
However, Bryce Young is on the hot seat as well, even though he did show signs of life last year. Young has all the weapons in the world to finally succeed, so he doesn’t have any excuse not to play up to standards. However, head coach Dave Canales isn’t afraid to switch quarterbacks if he has to. Last season, he did that, and that’s what motivated Young to progress. If he can have that same mojo going into the 2025 campaign, many should expect them to trade for a quarterback, and McCarthy could save their season.
Arizona Cardinals
The same can be said about the Arizona Cardinals. Quarterback Kyler Murray could be on the radar of a potential release or trade if he doesn’t perform well despite having an explosive running back, wide receiver and tight end this year. Jacoby Brissett won’t get this team in the winning column, but McCarthy could change the narrative.
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