Getty Kevin O'Connell, head coach of the Minnesota Vikings.
Sam Darnold’s strong start with the Minnesota Vikings has sparked some rather lofty ideas, including trade speculation.
Among them is the idea that Darnold could price himself out of the Vikings’ plans. However, that would also leave the Vikings in an interesting situation with rookie first-round quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
ESPN’s Mike Greenberg explored that possibility and asked a potential pivotal question about the Vikings, one that also involved the New York Giants.
“If you’re the Giants, do you want as your quarterback next year A) Sam Darnold or B) J.J. McCarthy? Which of the two quarterbacks, is Minnesota going to be willing to part with? Is Darnold gonna be good enough that he gets one of these monster contracts, and they are willing to trade away J.J. McCarthy – for whom you could get a No. 1 pick, easily? Are they going to be willing to trade him away? Or will they let Darnold walk because McCarthy has the rookie deal situation left?” Greenberg said in a clip from “Greeny” shared on September 26.
“All of this is obviously way premature because Darnold has played three great games. But if this thing goes this way, if Donald has the kind of season from which you say to yourself, ‘We can’t walk away from this,’ do the Vikings consider trading J.J. McCarthy?”
If Sam Darnold has a great season, should the @Vikings trade JJ McCarthy (to the Giants)?
@Espngreeny
The Giants signed Daniel Jones to a four-year, $160 million contract extension in March 2023.
But he has no more guaranteed money on his contract after the 2024 season. The Giants can cut him in 2025, saving $30 million and taking on an $11 million dead cap hit.
However, the short answer to Greenberg’s question is probably “no.” Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell delivered strong comments about McCarthy after the latter suffered a season-ending knee injury.
J.J. McCarthy Vikings’ Future Despite Potential Trade Interest
GettyJ.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings.
O’Connell used the word “future” three times during his announcement that McCarthy would be out for the season after tearing his meniscus in the preseason opener versus the Las Vegas Raiders.
O’Connell’s most telling comments came regarding what McCarthy had shown him and the rest of the coaching staff during his short time with the organization.
They are eager to get him back in the mix.
“There is no question in my mind the physical talent that J.J. has,” O’Connell told reporters in August. “I really believe that J.J. has kind of confirmed to me – and a lot of our coaches and players – that we got the right guy in the building for the future. And he did it in a short amount of time.
“I think that optimism should be felt by anybody in our building and, hopefully, our fans although they’re not going to get to see him for a short period of time.”
Sam Darnold Could Be Hot Commodity in Free Agency
GettySam Darnold #14 of the Minnesota Vikings.
McCarthy is in Year 1 of a four-year, $21.8 million contract. He will have a fifth-year option the Vikings can pick up at the end. A trade seems like a far-fetched idea for him.
Darnold is on a one-year, $10 million pact.
Darnold is the NFL leader in touchdown passes and touchdown rate through Thursday Night Football in Week 4, per Pro Football Reference. He ranks 14th in yards, but he also holds the same ranking in interception rate.
If he continues his hot play, Darnold could make sense for the Giants as a replacement for the inconsistent Jones. He could fill a similar role as the one intended for him with the Vikings.
Notably, the Vikings will visit the Giants in 2025 in what could be a “revenge” game.
Josh Buckhalter covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. He has covered both leagues since 2016, including bylines at FanSided, Last Word on Sports and Clocker Sports. He's based in Villa Park, Illinois. Follow Josh on Twitter and Instagram: @JoshGBuck More about Josh Buckhalter
