The Browns are staring down roster cutdowns with more quarterback questions than answers, and that uncertainty has already sparked a new name to watch: JJ McCarthy.
Cleveland enters its first round of 53-man roster decisions without knowing how many quarterbacks it will keep behind Deshaun Watson. Right now, it feels just as plausible that all three of Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, and Taylen Green stick as it does that one or more get squeezed out.
That mess in Cleveland is part of what makes the McCarthy chatter worth following. The Minnesota Vikings thought they had their answer when they used the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on McCarthy, then watched Sam Darnold walk in free agency because the job was supposed to be McCarthy’s. Instead, the situation has gone sideways fast.
According to The Athletic, McCarthy’s spot may not even be secure enough to guarantee he makes Minnesota’s initial 53-man roster. O’Connell gave him the day off Wednesday so that he could rest up enough to start Friday’s final preseason matchup with the Broncos.
But McCarthy did not play. Wentz started and appears to be in line to be the team’s backup.
McCarthy’s comfort (or lack thereof) with being QB3 could dictate his future in Minnesota.
That lines up with the kind of talk already floating around Vikings circles, where fans at The Daily Norseman were discussing a McCarthy-for-Sanders trade earlier this week.
McCarthy’s first season on the field was a mixed bag. He played 10 games last season after missing his entire rookie year with a knee injury. As Minnesota’s starter, the Vikings went 6-4, but McCarthy completed only 58% of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
And now, with more than one voice in the Vikings media saying McCarthy may not get a chance to add to those numbers, the Browns suddenly have another quarterback rumor sitting right in their lap.
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