It only took 3 weeks for the worst take of the Vikings offseason to exist

Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson
Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson | Nick Cammett/GettyImages

One of the biggest stories of the 2025 NFL offseason so far dropped on Monday after All-Pro pass rusher Myles Garrett released a statement in which he formally requested the Cleveland Browns to trade him this year. Unsurprisingly, fans of the Minnesota Vikings and just about every other team in the league have been coming up with different trade scenarios involving Garrett since the news broke.

However, it didn't take very long for one of the worst trade ideas involving Garrett to be shared, as ESPN Radio's Paul Hembekides not only initially suggested on Monday's episode of "Greeny" that the Vikings should trade quarterback J.J. McCarthy for the Browns edge rusher straight-up, but then he also went on and added something even worse to his proposal.

"What if the Minnesota Vikings are able or willing to take on the Deshaun Watson contract as well? So, you get out from under Deshaun, you trade away a franchise quarterback, and you make it a two-for-one instead. How, how much, how badly do you wanna get rid of the Deshaun Watson anchor?"

Every member of the Minnesota Vikings would be fired if they traded for Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson

Thankfully, Hembekides's co-hosts were able to quickly make it very clear that Minnesota would have zero interest in making a trade that wound up with Watson on its roster.

But c'mon, the Super Bowl hasn't even been played yet, and this is the stuff people are already saying on national radio shows? Hopefully, this is the worst of it, and not just a sign of what Vikings fans can expect to hear all offseason from the national media.

The idea to trade McCarthy on his rookie contract for Garrett, who is likely looking for a pay raise, was bad enough. But to then throw Watson in there, who just tore his Achilles for the second time since October, and has more baggage than a cross-country flight, makes it sound like someone is just trying a little too hard to come up with the most scorching-hot take of the day.

We've all had some terrible takes in our time watching and covering pro sports, but this one from Hembekides might have already earned the crown as the worst from 2025.

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