The Pittsburgh Steelers have been stuck in NFL purgatory for nearly a decade, and they won't escape without finally making a real move at the most important position in sports.

The Minnesota Vikings selected former Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy in the first round of last year's NFL draft only to watch him suffer a torn meniscus in his right knee during the preseason schedule.

Rising second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy has yet to play a regular season snap after missing his entire rookie campaign due to a knee injury. Sam Darnold stepped in and had the best season of his career, but the last few games when the lights were the brightest yielded mixed results for the veteran.

The Minnesota Vikings are expected to add capital during the 2025 NFL Draft, and that means likely moving back or out of the first round altogether.

If the Minnesota Vikings don't retain quarterback Sam Darnold, they would be wise to have an insurance policy for fellow signal-caller, J.J. McCarthy. With that in mind, one NFL analyst thinks the team will sign a Pittsburgh Steelers $18 million backup to fill that role.

The Minnesota Vikings are currently in the midst of chosing whether to stick with Sam Darnold, or hand over the keys to the QB kingdom to former #10 overall pick, JJ McCarthy. However, a third option – that only became a potential reality over the past couple of weeks in the offseason – is the