Vikings Trade Prediction Lands 10-Time Pro Bowl Quarterback
While the Minnesota Vikings expect to start quarterback J.J. McCarthy on Sunday against the Detroit Lions, things remain unsettled after McCarthy.
The Vikings lost backup quarterback Carson Wentz for the season due to a shoulder injury, and Minnesota’s backups are now rookie Max Brosmer on the roster and veteran John Wolford on the practice squad. USA Today’s Jacob Camenker predicts that the Vikings will trade for New York Giants backup quarterback Russell Wilson, a 10-time Pro Bowler who has seen better days.
“That could lead the Vikings to buy low on Wilson,” Camenker wrote. “It wouldn’t be to install him as a starter, but it would provide McCarthy with a veteran sounding board as he looks to establish himself as Minnesota’s quarterback of the future.”
“The Giants should be willing to part with Wilson on the cheap, and the Vikings would only have to take on a prorated version of the 36-year-old quarterback’s $2 million salary for the 2025 season,” Camenker added.
Wilson’s experience is invaluable for a young quarterback like McCarthy. In 14 seasons, Wilson has thrown for 46,921 yards and 353 touchdowns versus 114 interceptions in 204 career games.
He led the Seattle Seahawks to a pair of Super Bowl appearances and won one. Wilson has a 9-8 career postseason record with 4,056 yards and 27 touchdowns versus 12 picks.
Russell Wilson Would Give Vikings QB Insurance
If McCarthy were to get hurt again, the Vikings would have a proven veteran to step in. Wilson hasn’t looked the part of a great starting quarterback for a while, but he has still produced big at times.
That includes a 414-yard, three-touchdown game for the Pittsburgh Steelers last season in Week 5 against the Cincinnati Bengals. This season, Wilson put together 450-yard, three-touchdown game against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2.
In both cases, Wilson wasn’t working with a receiving corps on the level of Vikings wideouts Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, plus tight end T.J. Hockenson.
NFL Analyst Weighs In on Playoff Hopes With J.J. McCarthy
While the jury is still out on McCarthy with just two regular season games, former NFL running back and current NFL analyst Rashad Jennings sees good things coming for the Vikings with McCarthy eventually.
“Not sure if it’s going to happen this year,” Jennings said during Good Morning Football on Friday. “When you talk about the NFC North, … they’re at the bottom, and they’re at the bottom with a really good team up top, and that’s good teams and that’s being the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions.”
“I don’t know if it’s enough juice over there to take them over that hump,” Jennings added.
The Vikings could put a dent in the Lions’ NFC North lead on Sunday, but it will be a tall order for McCarthy’s third career start, even if it’s back in Michigan, where he was a college star for the Wolverines. Minnesota’s schedule ahead looks all the more brutal with the Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, Packers, and Seahawks before December. The final month of the season will only get harder with the Washington Commanders, Cowboys, Giants and both the Lions and Packers again — all teams that could be in the playoff hunt.
Vikings Activate Key Players Ahead of Week 9 Clash with Lions
As the Minnesota Vikings get ready for their Week 9 matchup with the Detroit Lions, the team has activated cornerback Fabian Moreau and tight end Nick Vannett from the practice squad to the active roster, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Moreau brings a decade of NFL experience to the Minnesota secondary. Originally a third-round pick of the Washington Commanders in 2017, he completed a four-year, $3.33 million rookie contract that included an $825,392 signing bonus.
After playing briefly for the Atlanta Falcons, Houston Texans, New York Giants practice squad, and Denver Broncos, the 31-year-old joined the Vikings practice squad in July 2025. This season, he has appeared in a single game and participated in three defensive plays, stepping in as the team’s emergency sixth cornerback for Sunday’s matchup.
Meanwhile, Vannett joined Minnesota’s practice squad on October 9, and the team has used him sparingly, recording just four offensive snaps this season.
The elevation of both players follows the placement of quarterback Carson Wentz on injured reserve after a season-ending left shoulder injury. Wentz had led the Vikings to a 2–3 record while starting in the absence of J.J. McCarthy.
McCarthy, Minnesota’s 2024 first-round pick, is back from a high right ankle sprain suffered in Week 2. After missing six games, he has fully resumed practice and will start against Detroit, with rookie Max Brosmer serving as QB2 and veteran John Wolford providing additional depth.
McCarthy’s return comes at an inflection point in the Vikings’, as Minnesota seeks to recover from a 3-4 start and a 37-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 8. During that game, Wentz went 15-for-27 for 144 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
The Vikings’ rushing attack failed to make an impact, with Zavier Scott gaining just 16 yards on two carries, while Justin Jefferson caught seven passes for 74 yards and Jordan Addison scored the team’s only touchdown with three receptions for 26 yards.
Minnesota faces a Lions team sporting a 5-2 record and coming off a 24-9 Week 7 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A loss would drop the Vikings to 3-5 and widen the divisional gap, while a win would improve them to 4-4 and keep the NFC North race alive.
