Former Michigan Wolverines star quarterback J.J. McCarthy is coming off of a rollercoaster 2025 NFL season with the Minnesota Vikings.
After the franchise decided to go all-in on him as the starting quarterback to start the season, McCarthy dealt with multiple different injury issues. He also struggled with consistency on the field when he was able to play.
McCarthy closed out his career at Michigan with a national championship win. During his three-year career with the program, he completed 72.3 percent of his pass attempts for 6,226 yards, 49 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, while also running for 632 yards and 10 touchdowns.
He was drafted with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and was expected to be the long-term franchise quarterback for the Vikings. So far, those hopes haven’t turned out exactly as expected.
With that being said, McCarthy’s name has started popping up in NFL trade rumors as the offseason approaches quickly.
Former Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy Involved in Vikings Trade Rumors
Throughout the course of this season, Minnesota was rumored to have interest in bringing in quarterback competition during the offseason. A new report has been shared that McCarthy could be shipped out of town altogether.
According to a report from Grant Cohn of On SI on January 22, the Vikings are interested in trading for Cincinnati Bengals superstar Joe Burrow. Their trade offer would include McCarthy being traded to the Bengals.
“[The Vikings] want to get right back into contention,” Cohn said. “They’re planning to offer J.J. McCarthy and Jonathan Greenard, and two first‑round picks to the Cincinnati Bengals for Joe Burrow. If the Bengals say no, then they might go out and get Kirk Cousins, bring him back.”
Being traded so quickly after just one season as the starter in Minnesota would be a major surprise. It would also be quite disappointing for a young quarterback.
These are just rumors at this point in time, but McCarthy is facing a very uncertain future.
How Did J.J. McCarthy Perform During the 2025 NFL Season?
McCarthy ended up playing in 10 games during the 2025 campaign. He threw for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions and also added 181 yards and four scores on the ground. The 23-year-old signal caller completed 57.6 percent of his passes.
His numbers were not horrible. There were flashes of the potential that made the Vikings draft him with the No. 10 overall pick.
Unfortunately, the quarterback position in the NFL comes with a lot of pressure. Teams are moving on from young signal callers much quicker than they used to.
At the end of the day, Minnesota is going to do whatever it needs to do to win. Burrow is one of the best quarterbacks in the game. If the Vikings can acquire Burrow from Cincinnati, trading McCarthy would simply be collateral damage.
Expect to hear a lot of rumors about the former Wolverines star as the NFL offseason gets going. Regardless of what happens at the professional level, Michigan Wolverines fans will continue rooting him on wherever he ends up playing.
