Vikings Acquire Recent First-Round Pick & Highly-Touted QB Following JJ McCarthy’s Injury In Blockbuster Trade Proposal

An enticing trade proposal has the Minnesota Vikings landing a recent former first-round pick and young QB from an NFC rival following an injury to rookie signal-caller JJ McCarthy.

On Tuesday, it was reported that JJ McCarthy will need surgery after suffering a torn meniscus in his right knee. The Michigan product is expected to miss several weeks of action, making Sam Darnold the likely starter for Week 1 against the New York Giants.

Veteran Nick Mullens and 2023 fifth-round pick Jaren Hall are the other quarterbacks on Minnesota’s roster. But what if GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell decide to upgrade the QB depth chart with McCarthy sidelined?

Zach Pressnell of FanSided proposed a blockbuster trade idea where Minnesota would acquire quarterback Trey Lance from the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for 2025 fifth and 2026 fourth-round picks:

“The Cowboys have their quarterback of the future and the Vikings are left with a bit of a question mark following the McCarthy injury. If Minnesota can land Lance while surrendering a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 fourth-round pick, they would be smart to do it.

From Dallas’ perspective, they really don’t have any intention of playing Lance in the near future. He sits behind (Dak) Prescott and Cooper Rush on the depth chart as of now. Though Lance has a high ceiling, he’s incredibly raw in his abilities and Dallas could begin stockpiling picks by flipping him over to Minnesota.”

Trey Lance was drafted third overall by the San Francisco 49ers in 2021, but the rise of Brock Purdy made the North Dakota State product expendable. He was traded to the Cowboys last year for a 2024 fourth-round pick, and Lance didn’t play a single regular season snap in 2023.

Dallas has a Pro Bowl signal-caller in Dak Prescott, while veteran backup Cooper Rush has proven to be serviceable with a 5-1 record as a starter. So there’s obviously no path to Trey Lance getting valuable playing time in Dallas, which is why this trade proposal with Minnesota makes perfect sense.

Vikings Should Add Insurance With JJ McCarthy Out

Mullens is a third-string QB, and Hall’s play (two starts) in 2023 left much to be desired. If Minnesota wants to compete for a playoff berth this year, they should add another quarterback with upside like Lance to back up Darnold.

The 27-year-old Darnold never panned out with the New York Jets or Carolina Panthers, so the Vikings are taking a giant risk in relying on him to lead their offense.