The trials and tribulations of Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy may not be done just yet. The 10th overall pick in 2024 had his rookie season engulfed by a torn meniscus.
In the meantime, Sam Darnold resurrected his career and took the team to a 14-3 regular season record. In 2025, it seemed his finally was his time in Minnesota, but the team regressed to a 9-8 record, missing the postseason. Furthermore, a high ankle sprain limited his playing time, and even when McCarthy did play, the product wasn't ideal.
Yes, the team won six of the 10 games he started, but he had 11 touchdowns to 12 interceptions. Ahead of the 2026 season, the Vikings grabbed Heisman Trophy winner and former first overall pick Kyler Murray, who beat out McCarthy for the top job. Now, it seems like McCarthy still may be sliding.
Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports that McCarthy is in danger of even losing his spot as the backup QB to an experienced passer who's often viewed as a bust: Carson Wentz. "As for the backup situation, McCarthy took all of the No. 2 reps in last week’s joint practices," Lewis wrote. "His performance was up and down.
Another chaotic preseason outing for McCarthy — juxtaposed with Wentz’s professional-looking operation — could position the veteran as the most rational second option if Murray were to suffer an injury," Losing the backup job to Wentz, who was drafted second overall in 2016 but is most likely viewed as the quarterback who got hurt in 2017 and opened the door for Nick Foles' run of games that culminated in the Super Bowl LII win. Since then, he's bounced around the league, with stops in Indianapolis, Washington, Los Angeles and Kansas City. If McCarthy is indeed unable to best Wentz for the backup QB spot, it could mean he might need to find another team to get some playing time.
As Lewis reports, "training camp has offered some clues" that the Vikings might be moving away from McCarthy. "Expect the Vikings to play more from the shotgun in 2026," he wrote. "Furthermore, Minnesota’s staff plans to reconfigure the passing game around Murray’s strengths.
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