ESPN Radio host floats wild trade proposal involving J.J. McCarthy that would severely alter the Vikings’ future

The biggest story in the National Football League on Monday was edge rusher Myles Garrett requesting a trade from the Cleveland Browns.

Of course, the Browns have already said that they won’t be trading Garrett, which is in their best interest. However, this story isn’t going away. It will continue to persist until there is some form of resolution between the two parties.

How do the Minnesota Vikings play into this? Well, a trade for him is certainly in the cards, but what that could look like is a fascinating discussion.

J.J. McCarthy trade for Myles Garrett?

The Vikings don’t have a lot of draft capital with a projected four selections in 2025 and are missing a fourth-round pick in 2026. With that in mind, a trade is more likely to happen if there are players involved.

On ESPN Radio, Paul Hembekides offered quite an interesting trade proposal: Garrett for J.J. McCarthy.

Myles Garrett wants to win a Super Bowl. Why on earth is he gonna sign an extension with a team picking that high, to which I would say you’re probably right. But of course, the Cleveland Browns are going to want to recoup as much value as possible. It goes without saying, It’s okay. I’ll go to the bottom of the draft, or at least near the bottom of the bottom of the draft and just post for you a hypothetical: Myles Garrett for JJ McCarthy. Who says no?”

There is a lot to unpack here.

If the Vikings were to make this move, they would have already committed to Sam Darnold long-term. That in itself is a controversial take, especially after the final two games ended up making that decision more complicated.

Second, even though McCarthy was a top-10 pick, the Vikings would have to include much more draft capital, which would likely include this year’s first-round pick.

Third, the defense doesn’t need another edge rusher. However, Garrett would immediately become the focus of the Vikings’ defense, and he would pair well with Jonathan Greenard.

Right now, it’s a pipe dream, including trading a young quarterback. It’s also not impossible, so more of these will come around.