The J.J. McCarthy Trade Grades Are In

The J.J. McCarthy trade grades have arrived.

The NFL’s various pundits have been given the chance to digest the decision that feels both sudden and long overdue. So, what do they think? I’m among those who thinks that Minnesota did poorly (more on that below). What of those who aren’t living inside of Vikings Land?

The J.J. McCarthy Trade Grades

Give the opening word to The Score.

New York snags a B-. Some of the perspective for the NYG: “McCarthy may not be the answer, but he’s an alternative and there aren’t many better ones to consider at this point. The Giants likely made calls about other top backups – like the 49ers’ Mac Jones, Cardinals’ Gardner Minshew, or Chiefs’ Justin Fields – but teams aren’t exactly eager to have a thin quarterback room just a few weeks into the season.”

Minnesota’s A- arrives due to recouping at least some value: “Turning top-10 draft picks into fifth-round picks after only a couple seasons is pretty disastrous work, but there’s no time machine for the Vikings to undo the selection. That ship has sailed, and the chance to get any kind of compensation for a third-string quarterback isn’t a hard decision.”

Seth Walder of ESPN arrives at a similar divide — the NYG lower, MIN higher — but with more overall pessimism. The Giants get listed with a C while the Vikings get a B+.

Walder’s perspective: “Even though Murray is a free agent at the end of this season, McCarthy’s ship had already sailed in Minnesota after he couldn’t beat out Wentz. If he wasn’t going to be the Vikings’ backup quarterback, his value would likely have continued to drop. To get a fifth-round pick while saving a few million across his remaining 2026 and 2027 compensation (not nothing!) makes sense.”

Finally, consider the perspective from Moe Moton of Bleacher Report.

Minnesota sits at a C. Some of the rationale: “Minnesota traded its third-string quarterback for an early Day 3 pick, which doesn’t match the cost of what it invested in McCarthy, but it’s better than what most teams would get for a signal-caller at the bottom of the pecking order.”

New York sits at a D. Some of the rationale: “The Giants gave the Vikings an escape from their failed draft pick. In the short term, this deal makes sense if McCarthy eventually usurps Jameis Winston as the backup. Otherwise, he becomes a long-term developmental player.”

At the top, I tipped my hand: the J.J. McCarthy trade is a bad move for the Minnesota Vikings.

A 5th isn’t nothing. It’s not super inspiring, either. Why deplete the quarterback depth for a draft pick that — at least on a statistical level — isn’t likely to amount to very much? Players such as WR Stefon Diggs prove that the 5th Round can be a spot where great players get selected. Part of what makes Stefon Diggs a compelling example is that getting somebody as good as him is very rare.

Already, Kyler Murray has missed time due to injury in 2026. Carson Wentz is in his mid-30s and has worked through various injuries in his past. Removing J.J. McCarthy after only three games is a terrible gamble by the Vikings.

J.J. McCarthy is 23.

Giants Grade: B+
Vikings Grade: C-