Vikings told to trade for Patriots draft bust after J.J. McCarthy injury

Following the unfortunate news that J.J. McCarthy will miss the entire 2024 season to recover from knee surgery, many have already been sharing their ideas about what the Minnesota Vikings should do in response to the loss of the team's rookie quarterback.

FS1's Kevin Wildes joined in the conversation on Wednesday with his idea that the Vikings should trade for current Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback and former New England Patriots first-round pick Mac Jones.

Zero upside for the Minnesota Vikings to trade for former New England Patriots QB Mac Jones

Wildes might think his suggestion is one that Minnesota should seriously consider. But in reality, trading for Jones is something the Vikings should do their best to completely avoid.

One, Minnesota doesn't have much to offer in a potential trade when it comes to draft compensation (only five picks in 2025, and three of the five are Day 3 selections). Two, the Vikings shouldn't be giving up future draft assets to acquire a quarterback who arguably isn't any better than the three signal-callers who are already on the team's roster.

Is Jones and his 18-24 career record as a starter in the NFL really a better option for Minnesota under center than Sam Darnold or Nick Mullens? Even if someone wants to argue that he is, the difference between him and the other Vikings quarterbacks isn't enough to make giving up future draft assets in a trade for the current Jaguars passer worth it for Minnesota.

Jones was selected with the 15th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Patriots, and his career hasn't really worked out since entering the league. The Vikings are already trying to get the career of a former first-round selection back on track in Darnold, so they don't need to be doing something similar with Jones.

Minnesota is going to roll with Darnold as its starter for the 2024 season, and if he fails to lead them to the playoffs, then so be it. The 2024 campaign has never been about winning a championship for the Vikings, so there's no sense in the team wasting valuable draft picks in a trade for a quarterback who might lead the franchise to even fewer wins than Darnold this season.

More Vikings News and Analysis