One of the popular quarterbacks being linked to the Raiders in recent weeks is former first-round pick J.J. McCarthy.
McCarthy was 10th-overall pick in last year’s draft and would probably have been the Vikings starting quarterback this year if not for a meniscus injury that knocked him out before the start of the regular season.
There has been no indication the Vikings are interested in trading McCarthy, but with the emergence of Sam Darnold, some believe the Vikings will be willing to listen to offers for McCarthy in the offseason.
The key to McCarthy potentially becoming available will be the path the Vikings take with Darnold’s contract after the season. If they choose to give Darnold the franchise tag, it’s highly unlikely the Vikings will listen to offers for McCarthy. But if the Vikings commit a long-term deal to Darnold, the chances of McCarthy being traded will rise significantly.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter addressed trade speculation around McCarthy this week and he believes the cost to get McCarthy, if the Vikings are willing to trade him, will be significant.
“In a limited quarterback draft class, where there are far more teams that need quarterbacks than quarterbacks who actually can step in right away, I definitely think teams will be checking in with the Vikings to see if they have any interest in trading J.J. McCarthy,” Schefter said on ESPN’s Unsportsmanlike.
“Now they may say [they] don’t and that’s the end of it, but do I think teams will explore that option… of course. Absolutely. 100 percent. Because J.J. McCarthy would’ve been a top, if not the top, quarterback prospect in this draft,” Schefter continued. “If the Vikings decide that they wanted to trade him, which I don’t know that they will, I believe they would get back everything they put into him and then some. It would be a [first round pick] and then some.”
Schefter didn’t say it, but there are some who believe the Vikings could get upwards of two first-round picks for McCarthy, in part because there are so few quarterback options on the table for teams in need.
For the Raiders’ part, there have been rumors that McCarthy will be at the top of their list of quarterback targets after the season.
As Schefter and others have pointed out, McCarthy is arguably a better prospect than anyone in this year’s draft and he is still younger than Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, who are expected to be the first quarterbacks taken in this year’s draft.
“Every draft pundit I’ve talked to has said pretty squarely that if they were ranking last year’s quarterbacks, J.J. would be ahead of this year’s class,” Yahoo and FOX Sports host Jason Fitz said this week on Raider Nation Radio’s The Morning Tailgate.
“So, J.J., in the eyes of many scouts is actually a better prospect than Cam [Ward] or Shedeur [Sanders],” Fitz continued. “My question is… is one first rounder going to get J.J., or is it going to be a first and something else? And you better know where the health stands on it.”
Not a lot is known about McCarthy’s recovery from a meniscus injury, but we do know he underwent a second surgery on the knee in November.
“Sources said this week’s procedure resulted in a biologic injection intended to address swelling in the knee that developed after an increase in activity during the rehabilitation process,” ESPN’s Kevin Seifert said in November. “During the procedure, doctors found no other concerns and there have been no changes to McCarthy’s recovery timetable, according to sources, meaning he remains on track to return for the 2025 season.
As far as Raider fans are concerned, it sounds like they would be more on board with McCarthy coming to Las Vegas than any quarterbacks in this year’s draft.
x: @raidersbeat