The Minnesota Vikings are publicly hunting competition for third-year quarterback JJ McCarthy this offseason, but the team’s real prize could be waiting for it one year in the future.
Colin Cowherd of FOX Sports contended on the Monday, February 23 edition of “The Herd” that if the Cincinnati Bengals fail to reach the postseason in 2026, as they have for the last three years, then superstar quarterback Joe Burrow will demand a trade out of the AFC North Division.
"I think Burrow misses the playoffs again, and he's moving,” Cowherd contended. “I think he's just gonna say, ‘I'm out.'”
As for where he believes Burrow will ask to go, Cowherd was relatively specific.
“It'll be one of these Kevin O'Connell, [Sean] McVay high-end offensive coaches,” he added, referencing the Vikings and Los Angeles Rams.
Burrow is used to having elite pass-catchers at his disposal, including former LSU teammate and co-national champion, Ja’Marr Chase. However, Minnesota can also offer him that exact scenario, as Justin Jefferson was another member of that title team in 2019-20.
Minnesota was widely considered a Super Bowl contender in 2025 following a 14-3 campaign with Sam Darnold under center the year before, but McCarthy missed seven games due to injury and was inconsistent when he did play.
Burrow has finished top four in MVP voting twice in his six-year career. He has also made three Pro Bowls and won Comeback Player of the Year twice, which unfortunately indicates a history of injury issues. Part of those health problems, however, are due to the Bengal’s inability to build a consistently quality offensive line in front of him.
Cincinnati has also struggled to put together competitive defenses, finishing last year as the 31st-ranked unit out of 32 teams in the league.
Burrow led the NFL in passing yards (4,918) and passing touchdowns (43) in 2024, the last time he played a full season. He will turn 30 years old in December and is currently the NFL’s all-time leader in completion percentage with a mark of 68.5 percent across 2,806 attempts in 77 games played.
The Vikings would undoubtedly need to cough up at least three first-round picks for Burrow, who is generally considered a top five quarterback in the league and remains under contract in Cincinnati through 2029 on a $275 million deal.
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