Nick Wright proposes eye-opening J.J. McCarthy-Justin Herbert trade for Kevin O'Connell and Vikings: "Call the Chargers" 

The Minnesota Vikings' quarterback situation has been one of the biggest talking points of the offseason. The team allowed Sam Darnold to sign with the Seattle Seahawks, declining the opportunity to hand him the key to the offense, despite his stellar 2024 season.

The expectation was that the team would turn to J.J. McCarthy, but they have been linked to Aaron Rodgers, who is reportedly keen on joining the franchise. Their alleged interest in the four-time suggests they aren't sure whether the sophomore could handle the pressure of leading a team touted to be a Super Bowl contender.

Analyst Nick Wright believes that the team isn't convinced that McCarthy's ability matches their aspiration, they should avoid signing Rodgers and trade for a superstar like Justin Herbert. He picked the Los Angeles Chargers quarterback as the most viable option due to head coach Jim Harbaugh's history with McCarthy.

On FS1's "First Things First", Wright said:

"[The Vikings] should quietly call the Chargers. Be like, 'Hey, Jim Harbaugh, this guy [J.J. McCarthy], who you said was the best quarterback you ever coach, the best quarterback in your draft, will give you him and our first round pick, and we'll take Justin Herbert.'"

The analyst added dropping Herbert's $262 million contract off the Chargers' books could entice Harbaugh to consider the trade:

"The contract is tradable. Kevin O'Connell clearly thinks Darnold's not good enough, which I agree with him. Jim Harbaugh, could really do the whole Michigan thing with a cheap quarterback, not have the obligation to run the ball or to pass the ball a ton."

---

Jim Harbaugh called J.J. McCarthy the best QB of his draft class

After leading the Michigan Wolverines to the national title in 2023, both Jim Harbaugh and J.J. McCarthy bid goodbye to the program, as the head coach joined the Chargers, while the quarterback declared for the NFL draft. The duo were linked with a reunion in LA, especially after Harbaugh lauded the young signal-caller as the best quarterback in the draft.

"I think he plays quarterback the best of any quarterback in the draft. He's incredible," Harbaugh said via ESPN.com. "So, big market, small market. Cold weather, hot weather, it won't matter... Once [teams] were around him, I was hearing the stories about how he is on the board, how he is on the field, the little things, the intangibles. I mean, it was absolutely no surprise whatsoever."

However, the Chargers passed on the opportunity to draft McCarthy with the No. 5 overall pick and instead took offensive lineman Joe Alt. The Vikings subsequently landed the quarterback with the No. 10 pick and were keen on handing him the keys to their offense, but had to pivot to Darnold after the rookie suffered a meniscus tear in preseason.

Harbaugh and LA remain committed to Herbert as their starting quarterback. However, swapping him for a quarterback on a rookie deal and one that the head coach is familiar with could force them to ponder the possibility of trading him.