The Minnesota Vikings have released 2024 first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy after just 10 career starts across two-plus seasons, trading him for a fifth-round pick and placing him on a rare list of high-drafted quarterbacks who made quick exits from their original teams.
Minnesota’s front office decided to move on from the young quarterback by accepting a fifth-round selection in return, according to reporting from Kevin Seifert of ESPN. While that return is far below the initial draft capital the Vikings spent to acquire him, it prevents the franchise from losing him entirely without compensation. Cutting him before the start of the 2026 season appeared to be a genuine possibility as late as August, particularly after he slipped to third on the depth chart.
Rare Company Among First-Round Quarterbacks
Data compiled by the Elias Sports Bureau shows that McCarthy’s brief tenure in Minnesota places him into an exclusive, short group of players. Over the past 25 years, only four first-round quarterbacks managed 10 or fewer starts for the teams that initially drafted them.
That cohort includes Paxton Lynch, whom the Denver Broncos selected in the 2016 draft. Lynch made just four starts for Denver and never appeared in another regular-season NFL game. Similarly, Johnny Manziel started eight games for the Cleveland Browns after being picked in the 2014 draft, never playing for another franchise. Trey Lance rounds out the group; the San Francisco 49ers traded up to make him the third overall pick in 2021, but he started only four games for the team before subsequent stints with the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Chargers.
McCarthy’s Win-Loss Record and Departure
During his time with the Vikings, McCarthy started exactly 10 games, earning six victories in those contests. Despite a winning record in his limited opportunities, the organization ultimately decided to pull the plug on the experiment. The primary internal concern now centers on whether the quarterback will rediscover his footing elsewhere and become a star for another club, a scenario that would compound the frustration of his initial stint in Minnesota.
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