During the month of March, the Minnesota Vikings made the decisions to sign a pair of veteran quarterbacks in Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz, who have combined to start 186 games in the NFL.
For J.J. McCarthy, who is still young enough to remain on his parents' car insurance plan if he wanted to, some have assumed that Minnesota's recent additions to the quarterback room would cause the former Michigan signal-caller to ask for a trade out of the Twin Cities.
But according to what the Minnesota Star Tribune's Ben Goessling said during a recent appearance on "The Paul Allen Show," neither the Vikings nor McCarthy seems to be interested in parting with the other at this point in time in the offseason.
"I have not heard steam to corroborate that. I've heard people talk about that possibility. Would he consider that?
I suppose, [but] without being directly in his head, it's hard to say that, and I'm sure a lot of people [would agree], I don't know that people have talked to him that much [this offseason].
I know he is back in Minnesota. I think he's getting ready for the offseason and preparing for offseason workouts. It seems like he has every intention to be here.
But it's hard to say that there would be a scenario where they wouldn't do it. If somebody came along and gave them a big offer, then maybe you consider those things.
But I don't think anybody in that building has given up on him, and I don't think that he [was] blindsided by the idea that they were going to bring somebody in.
They've been in contact with him about that the whole way through, and I think he ended the season kind of aware of that being a reality, based on the way that 2025 went for him.
So yeah, I would be a little surprised if he's banging the table trying to get his way out of here.”
Minnesota Vikings and J.J. McCarthy still focused on the future together
What Goessling revealed shouldn't really surprise anyone.
One, it's still March, so knowing how anyone inside Minnesota's current quarterback room is going to perform next season is almost impossible.
People can assume that Murray and Wentz's experience will give them the upper hand in OTAs and training camp over McCarthy, but there's still a chance that the 23-year-old quarterback could make all the strides that the Vikings want to see from him this offseason.
Ideally, Minnesota would want the youngest quarterback on its roster to emerge as the franchise's long-term option under center.
But we all know, especially when it comes to the Vikings, that not everything is guaranteed to go according to plan in the NFL.
If anything, Minnesota fans should just be pleased with McCarthy's assumed willingness to stick around and compete with Murray and Wentz this offseason.
No one would blame him for wanting out, and even if he doesn't end up winning the Vikings' QB1 job this year, sitting back and learning from the entire sideline could be the thing that helps propel him to eventually reach his full potential.