Vikings Trade Idea Sees J.J. McCarthy Joined by Titans' Will Levis
Vikings Trade Idea Sees J.J. McCarthy Joined by Titans' Will Levis originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
This season, the Minnesota Vikings venture into the quarterback unknown.
According to data gathered from The Football Database, the average number of career starts rostered per team for the upcoming season is 120 -- bolstered by either a proven starter or a veteran backup supporting a rookie-scale QB on each team.
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The Vikings have neither.
With just 22 career starts between all four of their quarterbacks, the Vikings have the second-fewest quarterback starts in the NFL, ahead of only the New Orleans Saints.
It's J.J. McCarthy or bust for Minnesota this year after the Vikings watched Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones and Nick Mullens depart in free agency. They declined to sign a veteran quarterback in free agency, instead opting to trade for Sam Howell, whose 5-13 record as a starter is far from encouraging.
That has led to some outside consultation suggesting that Minnesota should be in the market to improve the quarterback room before the start of the season.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy© Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
One trade idea floated by Heavy.com's Anne Erickson considered the possibility of the Vikings landing 2023 second-round pick Will Levis.
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While Levis has his blemishes, he has more physical talent than Howell, Brett Rypien or rookie Max Brosmer, prompting Erickson to suggest a Day 2 or Day 3 pick could be enough to pry Levis away from the Tennessee Titans.
"The Tennessee Titans made a big move and drafted quarterback Cam Ward No. 1 overall in the 2025 NFL draft, which says a lot," Erickson wrote. "Will Levis isn't happy about it. So, the Tennessee Titans could trade Levis for a late Day 2 or early Day 3 draft selection."
While landing Levis for that price could be a stretch, the Titans may be ready to rid themselves of Levis after they fired the man who drafted him, former general manager Ran Carthon.
Considering the three first-round picks the San Francisco 49ers invested to get Trey Lance, only to trade him to the Dallas Cowboys for a fourth-rounder, it isn't preposterous to consider the Titans offloading Levis for a similar recoup of draft stock.
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Levis is 5-16 as a starter for a struggling Titans organization and could merely need some quarterback rehab from Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell.
While the same argument can be made for Howell, Levis has better physical tools that could offer more upside behind McCarthy.
Howell could even be considered for a quarterback swap if both teams deem their prospects need a change of scenery.
Related: Budding Vikings Star Issues Official Goodbye After Injury
Related: Vikings' $21 Million Starter Eyeing Exit After Season
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
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