Quarterback J.J. McCarthy is running out of options. If Kyler Murray takes the starting job this summer, McCarthy's time with the Minnesota Vikings may come to an end. As a FanSided expert broke down trade possibilities, one AFC team kept coming up.

According to Fansided's Wynston Wilcox, the Pittsburgh Steelers are the most realistic landing spot for McCarthy. The deal on the table could involve Pittsburgh getting the QB in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2028 fifth-rounder.

"McCarthy could take this season and learn behind Aaron Rodgers, who announced the 2026 season will be his last in the NFL," Wilcox wrote on July 14, per FanSided.

With Rodgers playing his final season, the Steelers need a plan for what comes next. McCarthy, learning from the veteran with seven Super Bowl rings and working under an offensive-minded head coach, could give Pittsburgh something to build on.

"He would get with a coach known for quarterback development like Mike McCarthy, and he'd have a decent supporting cast to work with," Wilcox wrote in the July 14 FanSided report.

Wilcox described it as a low-risk, high-reward move for Pittsburgh. McCarthy has disappointed, but he has not proven he cannot play at this level either. One good season of development could change his value significantly.

The New York Jets also came up as a potential trade partner. They recently traded for Geno Smith and drafted Cade Klubnik, but have no clear answer at the position long-term. A fourth-round pick was the proposed return there as well.

The Arizona Cardinals were the third option mentioned. New head coach Mike LaFleur is part of the Sean McVay coaching tree, the same lineage Kevin O'Connell comes from in Minnesota. If anyone can unlock McCarthy's potential, it might be LaFleur.

The wildcard on the list was a straight swap between McCarthy and the Indianapolis Colts' Anthony Richardson, with the Vikings picking up the former No. 4 overall pick as a project.

Kyler Murray already appears to be the favorite heading into camp

The trade speculation only matters if Murray wins the job, and all signs point that way. However, head coach Kevin O'Connell has been careful not to name a starter publicly.

O'Connell acknowledged both quarterbacks directly but framed the competition in a way that gave Murray the benefit of the doubt.

"Kyler has come in and done a great job," O'Connell said on The Dan Patrick Show. "J.J., I think, has benefited from the competition."

Praising McCarthy for benefiting from the competition rather than for what he has done on his own tells you where things stand.

O'Connell's comments suggest that Murray is not being managed. He is being developed as the starter, and McCarthy is the one adjusting to that reality.

Do you think the Pittsburgh Steelers should trade for JJ McCarthy if he loses the starting job to Kyler Murray? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Farheen Fathima

Edited by

Arundhoti Palit