The Vikings have sent a loud message about J.J. McCarthy’s standing, and it’s not a flattering one.
Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell said Wednesday that Carson Wentz will open the season as the backup behind starter Kyler Murray in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers. That leaves McCarthy, the former No. 10 overall pick, slotted as the third quarterback and possibly not even active on game day.
That’s a stunning drop for a player the Vikings once viewed as the future. Minnesota let Pro Bowl quarterback Sam Darnold walk in free agency last year because of its belief in McCarthy, the 2024 first-round pick out of Michigan. Less than two seasons later, he’s not even the first man up behind the starter.
McCarthy’s slide is tied directly to what happened in 2025. He finished last in the NFL in completion rate at 57.6%, touchdown-to-interception ratio at 11-12 and passer rating at 72.6. According to CBS Sports Research, he became the only first-round quarterback since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger to finish last in the league in both completion percentage and touchdown-to-interception ratio in his debut season.
Head Coach Kevin O'Connell has announced that Carson Wentz will serve as the team's backup QB on Sunday and that J.J. McCarthy will serve as the 3rd QB.
O'Connell says it'll be a week-to-week thing as far as the backup QB spot goes. pic.twitter.com/Uw6yYAkBSm
- Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 9, 2026
O’Connell did leave the door open a crack, saying the backup quarterback job will be a week-to-week situation. And with both Murray and Wentz carrying injury histories, McCarthy could still get on the field in 2026. Murray missed 30 of his possible 68 games from 2022 to 2025, while Wentz hasn’t played double-digit games in a season since 2022.
If McCarthy does get a chance, the Vikings are hoping he can at least rebuild some value. The idea, according to the source material, is that a strong enough showing could eventually make him movable for a Day 3 draft pick.
But for now, the clearest takeaway is that O’Connell has moved on. Wednesday’s decision said it plainly.
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