No.
We aren't in the market for burying the lede with this one. A spade is a spade, and we need to acknowledge that J.J. McCarthy hasn't developed enough to warrant keeping the spot. With all the rumored interest in McCarthy leading up to the deadline for the 53-man roster cutdown, should the Minnesota Vikings have dealt the former Michigan Wolverine?
The easy answer is yes. You'd have to imagine a quarterback-needy team would have shelled out a third-round pick, based on "hype and potential" with McCarthy, neither of which we have really seen. McCarthy struggles in major ways with throwing with anticipation, working through progressions, pace, and passing accuracy. You'd like to think that entering year three, we would have seen a step up in at least
one of these attributes, but we have not.
It's a win-win for Minnesota. You could have flipped a first-round bust for some form of draft capital, and either side of the Murray discussion is a win. If Murray plays well and Minnesota earns a playoff spot, you finally found your franchise quarterback. If Murray struggles, the franchise will be in range for one of these touted quarterback prospects in the 2027 NFL Draft.
However, you can understand keeping McCarthy simply because you have all the leverage. He's on a rookie deal with zero say in whether he stays or goes. Maybe a third full year in the Kevin O'Connell offense would finally reap some form of rewards, but with two years down and not really a lot to show for it, the juice may not be worth the squeeze.
It's hard for NFL franchises to admit when they were wrong, especially when it comes to young quarterbacks. It's a developmental issue that begins in college, which is another story for another time. However, the NFL stands for Not For Long, and right now, it seems as if McCarthy is trending that way.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Should J.J. McCarthy have made the 53-man roster?
