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The Minnesota Vikings just watched as veteran quarterback Carson Wentz went down for the season with a shoulder injury, and with there being a whole lot of uncertainty surrounding J.J. McCarthy from both a health and a gameplay perspective, the Vikings could be in the market for another signal-caller before the NFL trade deadline. McCarthy has been nursing an ankle injury and has not played since Week 2 because of it, but there has also been some conjecture that Minnesota has been holding out the second-year quarterback because it has not been thrilled with his performance. Read more: Patriots’ Monster Trade Proposal Lands 1,200-Yard Weapon for Drake Maye McCarthy appears to be in line to start the Vikings' Week 9 matchup with the Detroit Lions, but with Max Bromer being the only other quarterback on the roster, it would behoove Minnesota to make a trade, both to provide McCarthy with some injury insurance and to potentially replace him if things go awry. ESPN's Benjamin Solak has pitched an intriguing move for the Vikings on that front, urging them to swing a trade for Indianapolis Colts signal-caller Anthony Richardson. "What about Richardson, the fourth overall pick from 2023 who never panned out for the Colts?" Solak wrote. "Richardson is currently on IR with a fractured orbital bone courtesy of a fluke pregame warmup injury featuring a wayward resistance band, and he has missed plenty of time in his career with injuries. ... But O'Connell is, presumably, a Richardson believer." Solak proposed that Minnesota could send a third-round draft pick and a 2027 seventh-rounder to Indianapolis in exchange for Richardson as well as a fifth-round pick. Richardson was originally drafted by the Colts with the fourth overall selection of the 2023 NFL Draft and missed most of his rookie campaign due to injuries. He then struggled mightily in 2024, completing just 47.7 percent of his passes over 11 starts before ultimately losing his job to Daniel Jones heading into 2025. Based on the way Jones has played this season, it seems like he will be Indianapolis' starting quarterback for the long haul, which could spell the end of Richardson's short tenure with the club. Read more: Browns Insider Poses Frightening Myles Garrett Question But would the Vikings actually move a third-round pick for Richardson, given that they just used a first-round draft choice on McCarthy a year ago? Perhaps Minnesota would be better off simply pursuing a veteran quarterback between now and Nov. 4.
