After months of trade rumors, the Minnesota Vikings finally made the decision to move off former No. 10 overall pick J.J. McCarthy on Monday, sending him to the New York Giants in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round pick. Speculation had been building for a while that the Vikings could trade McCarthy after his dramatic fall from a top-10 pick to starter to third-string quarterback with the additions of Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz.
Now McCarthy gets a fresh start in New York, and Minnesota gets to rid itself of the quarterback controversy that's followed them over the past year. On Tuesday, just 24 hours after dealing McCarthy, the Vikings made another move at quarterback, signing Max Brosmer to the 53-man roster. More news: Justin Herbert Under Fire as Jim Harbaugh Demands He ‘Be Better’ Brosmer was on the Vikings' practice squad after not making the final roster at the end of August.
But even that initial decision was controversial. Brosmer completed 59% of his passes for 269 yards and zero touchdowns with one interception across three preseason games. McCarthy, meanwhile, completed 53% of his passes for 115 yards with zero touchdowns and zero interceptions in the first two.
While neither looked overly impressive, there was already pressure on McCarthy to perform well, and he arguably got outplayed by a player who went undrafted in 2025. Brosmer will serve as the Vikings' emergency third-string quarterback, the job McCarthy held before being traded to New York. More news: Emotional Blow in Carolina as Star Corner Jaycee Horn Lands on IR More news: Deshaun Watson Admits Browns Fans’ Behavior Toward Him Made Him Tear Up All Minnesota really needs this season to stay competitive is steady quarterback play.
They're already 3-0 behind arguably the best defense in football, and Murray has played just two games with his new Vikings teammates. As he gets more acclimated to the system, he should start to string together more convincing performances. The Vikings next host the winless Miami Dolphins before matchups against the New Orleans Saints, Indianapolis Colts, and Detroit Lions.
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