Every day, the Baltimore Ravens have to be thanking the universe for Lamar Jackson. Not many franchises can say they’ve had a two-time MVP starting at quarterback, so as disappointing as the team has been at times, this is a great era to be a Ravens fan.
Baltimore also has a good backup situation. After keeping their heads above water in 2025, Tyler Huntley re-signed for 2026, marking his sixth season in Charm City. It’s good to know that even if Jackson gets banged up for a game or two, they have someone waiting in the wings who can be serviceable.
Still, SB Nation’s Jarrett Bailey believes the Ravens could trade for a quarterback. In his 61 predictions for the 2026 season, he has them trading for Minnesota Vikings third-year pro J.J. McCarthy.
McCarthy’s trending toward bust territory, and that’s a headache Baltimore should avoid.
Baltimore Ravens shouldn’t even consider out-of-nowhere J.J. McCarthy proposal
The Ravens don’t even need a quarterback. They have an ongoing battle for their QB3 spot on the depth chart, but even that might be locked up soon by the veteran Skyler Thompson. And even if that was a need by some stretch of the imagination, it’s not a guarantee that the Ravens keep three quarterbacks on their active roster. There’s no room for McCarthy.
Credit where credit is due, Bailey makes a fair argument in his piece. He highlights the connection with head coach Jesse Minter, who won a National Championship at Michigan with McCarthy in 2023. That’s definitely a logical way to look at it.
However, Baltimore has no reason even to ponder a move like this. Not only is their quarterback room filled to the brim, but you also have to take into account that they’d be taking on McCarthy’s 2024 first-round contract—which, while not a lot, is money spent needlessly on a backup who would be a non-factor.
The Ravens would also obviously be moving a pick in this trade idea, and you definitely won’t catch Eric DeCosta doing that if it’s for a player not really improving his team.
For Ravens fans, Bailey's predictions look even scarier, too. It sounds like an even worse quarterback forecast when you look deeper into his predictions. Bailey has Baltimore missing the playoffs again this year, and as a result, his 58th prediction is that the questions about Lamar Jackson’s future get louder. Bailey wrote:
“After the Ravens come just shy of making the postseason in Year One of the Minter era, and for the second consecutive year, many wonder what the future holds for Lamar Jackson. The two-time MVP will enter the final year of his current deal in 2027. Does Baltimore look elsewhere at quarterback options and ship Jackson away?”
It sure looks like Bailey is painting a disastrous picture for the quarterback position in Baltimore.
That’s besides the point, though. While the fact that Jackson is still without a contract is somewhat alarming, it sounds like both parties are interested in getting a deal done. Regardless of whether the Ravens for some reason trade for McCarthy and have another underwhelming season, there’s not much of a reason that they wouldn’t sign Jackson to an extension.
Ultimately, there’s no world where McCarthy should become a Raven. It’s a fun prediction for the Vikings, as they might be looking to end that experiment and move forward with Kyler Murray as the future franchise quarterback. Baltimore just wouldn’t be a likely trade partner for them.
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