{"id":751432,"date":"2026-02-14T11:04:22","date_gmt":"2026-02-14T11:04:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/751432\/"},"modified":"2026-02-14T11:04:22","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T11:04:22","slug":"vikings-rumors-gain-steam-on-a-j-j-mccarthy-trade-derek-carr-a-new-cb","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/751432\/","title":{"rendered":"Vikings Rumors Gain Steam on a J.J. McCarthy Trade, Derek Carr, a New CB"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Super Bowl is in the rearview, and truth be told, the Minnesota Vikings are glad because the general population can move on from the skewering unleashed over the Sam Darnold<\/a> fallout. But there\u2019s a whole new batch of rumors, as the offseason approaches Week No. 7.<\/p>\n

Three Vikings rumor threads are circulating: McCarthy trade buzz, Carr\u2019s status, and a Flores-linked cornerback target.<\/p>\n

Per the weekend routine, we\u2019ve got all the Vikings-themed rumor hot and ready.<\/p>\n

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Three Threads Driving the Vikings Rumor Mill<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the Purple Rumor Mill for Saturday, February 14th \u2014 Valentine\u2019s Day.<\/p>\n

\"Jalen<\/p>\n

Jalen Nailor celebrated in the end zone with quarterback J.J. McCarthy after a second-half touchdown on Dec. 14, 2025, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The scoring strike against Dallas showcased the pair\u2019s rhythm in a high-profile road matchup, as Minnesota leaned on its passing attack to build momentum under the bright primetime lights. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Rumor: The Vikings could trade J.J. McCarthy to the Arizona Cardinals in a deal for Kyler Murray. <\/p>\n

At the top of his quarterback carousel predictions list, Bleacher Report\u2018s Moton floated McCarthy and Kirk Cousins to Arizona, writing<\/a>, \u201cThe Arizona Cardinals could turn over their quarterback room under new head coach Mike LaFleur. According to NFL Network\u2019s Ian Rapoport, the team is \u2018likely\u2019 to move on from Kyler Murray before his guaranteed money raises the cost to keep him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Cardinals should call the Minnesota Vikings about a signal-caller swap to dump Murray\u2019s contract and take on J.J. McCarthy\u2019s rookie deal. The third-year quarterback\u2019s contract would cost only about $6 million against the cap. In addition, Arizona can add Kirk Cousins<\/a> to replace Jacoby Brissett, who may not fit into the new coaching staff\u2019s plans.\u201d<\/p>\n

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McCarthy would link up with Arizona\u2019s new offensive coordinator, Nathaniel Hackett, who previously coordinated MVP-caliber units in Green Bay with Aaron Rodgers.<\/p>\n

Moton continued, \u201cBecause of the perceived gap between Fernando Mendoza and the other quarterback prospects in the 2026 draft class, the Cardinals are unlikely to add a signal-caller with the No. 3 pick. Instead, they can develop McCarthy, who\u2019s only 23, and have him battle Cousins for the lead job.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf Arizona doesn\u2019t think the former is ready to play, the latter can run the offense as the unquestioned starter for at least a year. In this scenario, LaFleur would have an experienced quarterback under center while working on a high-upside developmental player who showed flashes in the previous season.\u201d<\/p>\n

That setup would basically create Vikings of the AFC West, which will turn Vikings fans\u2019 heads.<\/p>\n

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Rumor: Derek Carr, considering unretirement, is an option for Minnesota. <\/p>\n

Carr has surfaced in the quarterback carousel this offseason after a season-long retirement. NFL.com reported Monday<\/a>, \u201cAs quarterback injuries mounted this season and into the playoffs, teams conducted due diligence on Carr, trying to gather information as to whether the former Saints franchise passer would consider coming out of retirement, sources tell The Insiders.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Bengals, for instance, contacted Carr after Joe Burrow<\/a> went down with his turf toe injury. That work continues, and an offseason of quarterback uncertainty \u2014 with limited options in free agency, trades and the draft \u2014 makes Carr a possible solution in the right situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carr started 10 games for the 2024 Saints, posted a 15-touchdown to 5-interception split, and New Orleans went 5-5 in those outings.<\/p>\n

\"Gayle<\/p>\n

New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson stands alongside quarterback Derek Carr (4) during a photo opportunity on Mar. 11, 2023, at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center in Metairie, Louisiana. The appearance marked Carr\u2019s formal introduction to the organization as the franchise pivoted toward a new era under center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports<\/p>\n

NFL.com added, \u201cThe Saints still hold Carr\u2019s rights, though Tyler Shough\u2019s impressive rookie season, the amicable end to Carr\u2019s time in New Orleans and the way the sides worked through any salary-cap issues add up to his tolled contract being an unlikely hurdle in the process.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe Saints could ask for compensation in a trade, though the price surely wouldn\u2019t be an unreasonable ask for a player who has no future in New Orleans.\u201d<\/p>\n

There aren\u2019t many good teams that need quarterbacks this offseason, rocketing Carr\u2019s name into the Vikings\u2019 orbit if the unretirement comes to fruition.<\/p>\n

Rumor: Brian Flores and Co. could sign Kansas City Chiefs CB Jaylen Watson in free agency. <\/p>\n

Ryan Wilson jumped on CBS Sports airwaves this week and mapped out preferred landing spots for several of the league\u2019s top free agents.<\/p>\n

On Watson, he said<\/a>, \u201cI love the idea of Brian Flores getting his hands on Jaylen Watson in Minnesota. There will be competition, and that will only drive his price up.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Kansas City selected Watson in the 7th Round of the 2022 draft<\/a>, and he\u2019s developed into one of the better late-round wins from that class. Cap space, however, remains tight in Kansas City, which could complicate efforts to secure him on a second contract.<\/p>\n

\"Jaylen<\/p>\n

Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson (35) celebrates with safety Jaden Hicks (21) after a defensive stop on Nov. 23, 2025, at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. The second-half moment against the Indianapolis Colts highlighted Watson\u2019s impact as the Chiefs defense rallied in front of a loud home crowd. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Watson would fit in nicely with the Vikings, though many expect the club to use the 1st Round of the draft on a corner rather than free agency.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s Watson\u2019s Pro Football Focus<\/a> resume:<\/p>\n

2025:\u00a074.1
2024:\u00a069.6
2023:\u00a068.5
2022:\u00a061.2<\/p>\n

Sportrac expects<\/a> Watson\u2019s next contract to pay him around $13 million per season. It\u2019s unclear if Minnesota can afford that. Stay tuned.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Super Bowl is in the rearview, and truth be told, the Minnesota Vikings are glad because the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":751433,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2073],"tags":[1586,375,390,228,6696,229,496,7,392,1519,7523,26378,3973,4814,1577,118,110,294,4827,9737,11367,26287,233,259,2529,896,6,1257,397,1878,283,234],"class_list":{"0":"post-751432","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-minnesota-vikings","8":"tag-aaron-rodgers","9":"tag-arizona","10":"tag-arizona-cardinals","11":"tag-bengals","12":"tag-brian-flores","13":"tag-dallas","14":"tag-derek-carr","15":"tag-football","16":"tag-indianapolis-colts","17":"tag-j-j-mccarthy","18":"tag-jacoby-brissett","19":"tag-jaden-hicks","20":"tag-jalen-nailor","21":"tag-jaylen-watson","22":"tag-joe-burrow","23":"tag-kansas-city","24":"tag-kansas-city-chiefs","25":"tag-kirk-cousins","26":"tag-kyler-murray","27":"tag-mandatory-credit","28":"tag-mccarthy","29":"tag-mike-lafleur","30":"tag-minnesota","31":"tag-minnesota-vikings","32":"tag-minnesotavikings","33":"tag-new-orleans","34":"tag-nfl","35":"tag-quarterback","36":"tag-saints","37":"tag-sam-darnold","38":"tag-tyler-shough","39":"tag-vikings"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116068659987702221","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/751432","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=751432"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/751432\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/751433"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=751432"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=751432"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=751432"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}