NFL rumors: A $4.85 million reason Vikings didn't trade J.J. McCarthy on cutdown day
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Matt Krohn-Imagn ImagesNFL rumors: A $4.85 million reason Vikings didn't trade J.J. McCarthy on cutdown day appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Minnesota Vikings had several reasons to keep J.J. McCarthy at the NFL roster cutdown deadline, including a contractual restriction involving approximately $4.85 million in remaining guarantees.
As Minnesota prepares to host the Green Bay Packers in its Week 1 matchup Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero detailed why the Vikings held onto the 23-year-old quarterback despite McCarthy losing the starting job to Kyler Murray in August.
Pelissero wrote Wednesday in his Substack newsletter, “The Sweep,” that while 15 trades were finalized on Aug. 30, McCarthy was not among the players moved.
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“Any trade of the Vikings QB, who lost the starting job to Kyler Murray in August, would’ve been difficult for many reasons, including the list of injuries that have limited McCarthy to 10 games over his first two NFL seasons and prevented him from building momentum on some promising moments. (See: Last season’s road win at Detroit.) The Vikings also had no intention of just giving away a 23-year-old quarterback for nothing, especially one who’s well-liked in the locker room and has gone 6-4 as a starter.”
Beyond McCarthy’s age, upside and standing inside the organization, his contract presented another obstacle to a potential deal.
“Here’s another factor: In a league in which eating money to facilitate trades has become commonplace, the Vikings had no way to pay down the roughly $4.85 million in guarantees remaining on McCarthy’s contract because the CBA prohibits teams from renegotiating a drafted player’s contract for three years.”
J.J. McCarthy remains behind Kyler Murray on Vikings depth chart
Jeffrey Becker-Imagn ImagesMcCarthy’s future in Minnesota became uncertain after Murray beat him out for the starting job during training camp. The former first-round pick has dealt with injuries throughout his first two NFL seasons, limiting his opportunities to establish himself as the Vikings’ long-term answer at quarterback.
Still, McCarthy has produced a 6-4 record as a starter, giving Minnesota little incentive to move a young quarterback for a minimal return. The Vikings also could not absorb some of his remaining guaranteed money to make a trade more attractive because of the collective bargaining agreement restriction Pelissero outlined.
For now, Murray enters Week 1 atop the depth chart after signing a one-year minimum contract with Minnesota. Pelissero reported that the deal includes a no-tag clause, which could allow Murray to become one of the top quarterbacks available in free agency next offseason.
Minnesota’s immediate focus will be on Green Bay and how the Packers defend a new-look offense led by Murray and star wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
McCarthy, meanwhile, remains part of the Vikings’ quarterback room after an active cutdown day around the NFL. His approximately $4.85 million in remaining guarantees were not the only reason Minnesota kept him, but the league’s contractual rules added another complication to any potential trade.
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