J.J. McCarthy’s path in Minnesota has taken another sharp turn.
Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said Wednesday afternoon that the former Michigan quarterback has been moved to third string heading into Sunday’s Week 1 matchup with the Green Bay Packers. McCarthy will now sit behind Carson Wentz, who is listed as the backup behind starting quarterback Kyler Murray.
O'Connell said the team will keep sorting through McCarthy and Wentz as the season moves along, with the quarterback situation being handled on a week-to-week basis.
"Carson, he’s got almost 100 career starts. What he did last year, with very limited reps, was apply a career's worth of experience.
That’s kinda what you need to do as a backup quarterback," O'Connell told reporters. "J.J., he is still going to get a bunch of great work. ...
I'm really excited to have the chance to continue working with him."
Murray’s arrival in Minnesota in March, after seven seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, immediately changed the conversation around McCarthy and his long-term place with the team. A training camp battle followed, and McCarthy lost the starting job.
That leaves a lot of uncertainty around a player the Vikings took with the No. 10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft after he helped Michigan win the 2023 National Championship title.
McCarthy went 6-4 in his only season as Minnesota’s starter in 2025, throwing for 1,632 yards with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He flashed at times, but his early NFL career has been slowed badly by injuries.
He missed five straight games last season with a high ankle sprain, then sat out more time because of a concussion and a hairline fracture in his throwing hand. His rookie year in 2024 never got off the ground, either, after a torn meniscus kept him out for the entire season.
"I want to make this week-to-week, so when we feel like we need to declare something different, we can," O'Connell said. "This gives us the best chance to win this Sunday, based on how the game goes."
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