While J.J. McCarthy is no longer on the Vikings roster, that doesn't mean folks are done talking about him just yet. A day after he was traded, media and players are now getting their chance to chime in on his time and how things went while he was a Viking.
One of the people adding new layers to the whole situation is ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio. While speaking on his show on Tuesday, Florio hinted that McCarthy's time with Minnesota nearly ended in the Summer. He alluded to the fact that the team could have cut him as they cut their roster down to 53.
He explained, "It may have been a personality thing. It may have just been, it clearly was everything. And when he didn't win the starting job, and the next thing you know, there's a real question
whether he's gonna even be the backup to Kyler Murray. That told you what was going on. And I think there was a chance they were just gonna cut him when they moved from 90 to 53. So if you had in your head, we were prepared to cut this guy, but we decided to keep him around because an opportunity to get anything for him may arise. Then getting a fifth-round pick back is a win."
The Vikings only got a fifth-round pick for J.J. McCarthy. Given that they surely were considering cutting him in August, getting anything was better than nothing. pic.twitter.com/v1CqxNEmoq
— PFT Live (@PFT_Live) September 29, 2026
While the return may not be much for Vikings fans to hang their hat on, it is better than nothing, as Florio explains. General manager Nolan Teasley has already hinted that he could make something happen with that pick sooner rather than later, so give the new front office leader credit until he proves otherwise.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: NFL insider hints that the Vikings almost cut J.J. McCarthy in August
