Nothing has gone to plan after the Minnesota Vikings traded up to select J.J. McCarthy out of Michigan in the 2024 NFL Draft. McCarthy missed his entire rookie season due to an injury, and then Kevin O’Connell rolled with the young gunslinger last season, but mistakes and injuries were the story.
Entering his third year with Minnesota, McCarthy might be battling to stay on Minnesota’s roster, at least according to an NFL analyst.
MORE: Grading Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy’s preseason Week 2 performance — Will he keep QB2 job?
Battling Carson Wentz for QB2 jobAug 22, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) looks on after the game against the Baltimore Ravens at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)Kyler Murray, the dual-threat quarterback from Arizona, has been named the starter for the Vikings. Murray signed a one-year deal with Minnesota, and he was supposedly brought in to compete with McCarthy, but most people knew it was Murray’s job all along.
After a pair of shaky performances in the preseason, McCarthy isn’t battling Murray any longer; he’s in a battle with journeyman quarterback Carson Wentz.
According to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, both McCarthy and Wentz split second-team reps on Tuesday during a practice.
The Vikings have one more preseason game to play, and that comes against the Denver Broncos. He played in just one quarter in the preseason game against the Ravens this past weekend, but after being under duress for most of the quarter, he was pretty beaten up.
Will Minnesota trade or waive McCarthy?According to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, he believes McCarthy’s career in Minnesota is in jeopardy. With Sunday being the 53-man cutdown, Florio sees a scenario where the Vikings attempt to trade the third-year quarterback or settle on waiving him.
McCarthy is still on his rookie contract, and the 2027 season is still guaranteed money for McCarthy.
Minnesota will have a big decision to make, anyway you slice it. Murray is on the roster as the starter, and then Kevin O’Connell will have to figure out what he’s comfortable with as a backup. McCarthy, Wentz, and Max Brosmer are all in a heated battle.
Despite losing the starting job to Murray, O’Connell insisted that McCarthy still has a career in Minnesota, and he looks forward to continuing to work with him. Let’s see how true that is in the coming days.
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