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Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox says the Minnesota Vikings are a landing spot for another quarterback to play with Kyler Murray after the JJ McCarthy trade.
The Minnesota Vikings made a major quarterback trade this week. They agreed to send the former No. 10 overall pick JJ McCarthy to the New York Giants.
But that hasn’t stopped pundits from linking the Vikings to another center back deal. If anything, the hole McCarthy left in Minnesota encouraged analysts to link the Vikings to other quarterbacks.
On Friday, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox named Minnesota one of two potential suitors for the Indianapolis Colts former No. 4 overall pick Anthony Richardson.
The 2023 first-round pick enters his third NFL season behind Daniel Jones on the Indianapolis depth chart. However, the 24-year-old still possesses considerable physical upside and has time to turn his career around,” Knox wrote.
“However, Richardson is unlikely to garner significant interest as a prospective starter in 2027 free agency. Landing with a team facing quarterback uncertainty next offseason could give him a chance to re-establish himself and compete for the starting job.”
Richardson has yet to appear in a game this season. Daniel Jones returns as Indianapolis’ starter this season. Last year, which was Jones’ first full year with the Colts, Richardson didn’t start a game either.
From 2023-24, however, Richardson went 8-7 as a starter. In 17 appearances overall, he completed 50.6% of his passes for 2,400 yards. Richardson also threw for 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
Could the Vikings land Anthony Richardson?
Knox is hardly the first analyst to connect the Vikings to Richardson. The probability of No. 4 overall picks from the 2023 NFL Draft heading to Minneapolis have actually been in the media since 2026 free agency.
The possibility died after the Vikings signed Kyler Murray. But Murray hasn’t been stellar to start this season and is only on a 1-year contract. The veteran may need to play better to secure his future in Minnesota.
Before the McCarthy trade, the Vikings probably had too many quarterbacks. So it’s unlikely they’ll trade Richardson. But they could, in theory, because like Murray, Richardson offers an intriguing contrast.
Richardson entered the NFL as a raw passer. He is now in his fourth season in the league. But at 6-foot-4 and 244 pounds with great raw ability, Richardson continues to be a unicorn from an athletic standpoint. He is also only 24 years old.
In addition to his passing numbers, the Colts quarterback has 634 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. He averaged 5.8 yards per carry in his 11 starts in 2024.
Minnesota QB Situation After JJ McCarthy Trade
The Vikings sent McCarthy to the Giants for a 2027 fifth-round selection. Even before the trade, Murray and Carson Wentz were the top two quarterbacks on Minnesota’s depth chart. But the team solidified those roles in the deal and then added Max Brosmer back to the active roster as a QB3.
Trading for Richardson would disrupt that quarterback hierarchy. That’s probably the main reason why it won’t happen. But as long as Murray continues to be less than stellar this season, pundits will connect the Vikings with available quarterbacks.
The same could be true even if Murray doesn’t improve and the Vikings start losing. In that event, Minnesota could make an early decision on Murray’s future and then trade Richardson to begin evaluating him for 2027.
To be clear, this trade is not very likely. But it is not out of the realm of possibility for various reasons.
Dave Holcomb is a sports reporter covering the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Pittsburgh Steelers and various NFL teams. Originally from Pittsburgh, Holcomb has covered college and professional sports for outlets including FanSided, Rotowire and Yardbarker. More about Dave Holcomb