NFL Trade Rumors: Insider Predicts J.J. McCarthy, Tua Tagovailoa Among 4 QBs Likely To Be ‘On the Move’

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The NFL’s backup-quarterback market is starting to look less like a depth chart and more like an airport departure board. Benjamin Allbright believes four recognizable names could be headed somewhere else before the dust settles.

J.J. McCarthy, Tua Tagovailoa’s Futures Remain Uncertain

Allbright identified Tua Tagovailoa, Dillon Gabriel, J.J. McCarthy, and Anthony Richardson Sr. as quarterbacks who could move in the coming weeks.

“Could see multiple QBs on the move in the next few weeks,” Allbright wrote. “All have had calls placed on them to varying degrees of interest.”

McCarthy may be the easiest name to understand. Minnesota officially named Kyler Murray its starter on Aug. 11, pushing the 2024 No. 10 overall pick out of the QB1 competition. Carson Wentz is also in the room, and Kevin O’Connell said this week that Minnesota had not yet decided who would start Friday’s preseason finale among McCarthy, Wentz, and Max Brosmer.

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McCarthy’s first season as an NFL starter did not create much leverage. He completed 57.6% of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions across 10 games in 2025, and an ankle issue has complicated the end of his preseason.

Tagovailoa’s situation is different because Atlanta still has not publicly closed its competition. The Falcons’ final preseason depth chart lists Tagovailoa “OR” Michael Penix Jr. as the starter after Penix was cleared for full-team work.

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Tagovailoa finished 2025 with a 72.1PFN QB Impact grade, No. 28 among qualifying quarterbacks, before Miami released him and Atlanta signed him this offseason.

A trade would therefore amount to another sharp turn for a quarterback who entered camp with a legitimate chance to start.

Dillon Gabriel and Anthony Richardson Face Different Kinds of Squeezes

Gabriel is buried deeper in Cleveland. The Browns have named Deshaun Watson their starter and Shedeur Sanders their Week 1 backup, leaving Gabriel to play Thursday’s preseason finale alongside Taylen Green. Cleveland drafted Gabriel in the third round in 2025, but the current pecking order makes outside interest worth hearing out.

Richardson comes with the clearest preexisting trade storyline. He requested a move from Indianapolis in the spring, and general manager Chris Ballard said in July that the request remained active. The Colts have nevertheless continued signaling that they would prefer to keep three quarterbacks, with Daniel Jones starting and Richardson competing with Riley Leonard for QB2.

That creates four very different trade cases: a former top-10 pick squeezed by veterans, an established starter caught in a live competition, a young developmental passer stuck behind two quarterbacks, and a former No. 4 overall pick who already asked out.

Allbright is not reporting that trades are imminent, but that discussions are ongoing. With roster cuts arriving Sunday, that is enough to make four quarterback rooms worth watching.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.

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