J.J. McCarthy’s path in Minnesota just took another sharp turn.
Kevin O’Connell said Wednesday that the former Michigan quarterback has been dropped to third on the Vikings’ depth chart heading into Sunday’s Week 1 matchup with the Green Bay Packers. McCarthy will now back up Carson Wentz, while Wentz sits behind Kyler Murray, who is listed as Minnesota’s starter.
O’Connell made clear the Vikings are treating the quarterback situation as something that can shift from week to week. The coach said the team will keep evaluating McCarthy and Wentz before deciding who holds the job going forward.
"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."
The move comes after Minnesota signed Murray in March, following his seven-year run with the Arizona Cardinals. That signing immediately put McCarthy’s standing in the organization under the microscope, and it set up a training camp battle that McCarthy ultimately lost.
Minnesota used the No. 10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on McCarthy, bringing in a quarterback who arrived with major buzz after leading Michigan to the 2023 National Championship title. But the early NFL ride has been bumpy.
McCarthy went 6-4 as the Vikings’ starter in 2025, throwing for 1,632 yards with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He had flashes that hinted at why the Vikings believed in him, but injuries have repeatedly interrupted his development.
He missed five straight games last season with a high ankle sprain, then lost more time to a concussion and a hairline fracture in his throwing hand. His rookie year in 2024 never got off the ground at all because of a torn meniscus.
"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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Gophers Suddenly Have A Minutes Squeeze Fans Will Be Watching
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For a program trying to build momentum under coach Medved, that is a good problem to have, but it also makes the next stretch worth monitoring closely. The Gophers now have proven returners, an important transfer and a coach who knows Evans well, and the way those pieces fit together will determine who keeps their roles and who sees their minutes trimmed. [Read more 🡒]