The former No. 10 overall pick is set to make his third NFL start on Sunday, and he'll do it not far from where he played his home games during his time as quarterback of the Michigan Wolverines. McCarthy and the Vikings hope this week's game in Detroit — and the nine remaining in the regular season after it — can be the start of something special.

The Minnesota Vikings have been linked to a potential trade that would bring in competition for quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

The Vikings have ripped through a slew of quarterbacking scenarios in recent months. Do they now wish they had a do-over?

J.J. McCarthy will make his return to the lineup Sunday, but with Carson Wentz out for the season, the Vikings are expected to be active at the deadline.

With that prior up-and-down play in mind, it'd be hard to ignore the possibility of the Vikings shielding McCarthy, particularly over these last few weeks when Wentz was injured. With him now on IR, however, McCarthy has to come out of the shadows and either prove that he is the franchise centerpiece or not.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy receives strong support from Justin Jefferson as he prepares to return from injury.