Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy returned to the field on Sunday for the first time since Week 2, and he put together arguably the best performance of his short NFL career so far by leading the purple and gold to an unexpected road victory over the Detroit Lions.
With the win, McCarthy not only reminded Vikings fans why the team selected him with the 10th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but he also silenced all the people suggesting that the team should make a deal for a veteran quarterback before the league's trade deadline on Tuesday.
It should never have even been a thought, but way too many people in the recent past have shared the thought that Minnesota should consider making a trade with the Atlanta Falcons for former Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins.
That was never going to happen in the first place, and after McCarthy's performance on Sunday, it's even clearer that there will be no reunion between Minnesota and Cousins this year.
Annoying Minnesota Vikings trade rumors can be put to bed after performance of J.J. McCarthy in Week 9 win over Detroit Lions
Cousins wasn't the only quarterback that had been suggested for the Vikings to consider trading for in the last couple of weeks.
Justin Fields of the New York Jets and Anthony Richardson of the Indianapolis Colts were also thrown into the idea box recently as players for Minnesota to target before this season's trade deadline, and even though those suggestions already sounded outrageous, McCarthy made those thoughts seem even more insane with his performance on Sunday.
Heading into this weekend's NFC North showdown in Detroit, what most Vikings wanted to see from the second-year quarterback was just a solid four quarters. A win wasn't even a priority for some Minnesota fans, but McCarthy not only led the team to a great victory over the Lions, but he also did it by making several impressive plays.
Walking off the field on Sunday, McCarthy completed 56 percent of his passes (14-of-25) for 143 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in addition to rushing for 12 yards and another score with his legs.
There are still plenty of questions for McCarthy to answer for the rest of his season with the Vikings. But at least Minnesota fans don't have to hear about why the team should consider reuniting with Cousins before Tuesday's deadline anymore.