The Vikings’ preseason ended with a thud in Denver, and the quarterback conversation only got messier from there.
Minnesota was handled by the Broncos 34-6 on Friday night at Mile High Stadium, a game that looked a lot like the rest of the exhibition slate: an offense that never really got rolling and a defense that could only hold the line for so long. Across three preseason games, the Vikings scored one touchdown and managed just 22 points total, which works out to 7.3 points per game.
The defense, led by Brian Flores, did enough early to keep things from getting completely out of hand. But once the second half hit and the roster started filling up with players who won’t survive cutdown day - with Josh Metellus even starting to call plays - the Broncos pulled away fast.
What made Friday night stand out wasn’t just the score. It was the absence of JJ McCarthy.
Kevin O’Connell had said all week that Minnesota wanted the 2024 first-round pick to start against Denver. After the game, he said the plan had been for McCarthy to play the entire first half. The Vikings badly wanted those reps for a 23-year-old quarterback who, by design, won’t see regular-season action if everything goes the way they want.
Instead, O’Connell said the team “couldn’t get him turned around” in time for McCarthy to “feel comfortable” on his injured ankle.
That language has only added to the intrigue around McCarthy’s status. He himself said he’s “not comfortable enough to go” after the setback, and in the meantime the chatter around his place on the roster has only intensified.
McCarthy’s preseason line wasn’t exactly a stabilizing force either. He appeared in two games, completed 9 of 17 passes for 115 yards, and did not throw a touchdown or an interception. The source material says that, both statistically and visually, he looked like the same uneasy quarterback who had trouble working through reads in 2025.
O’Connell’s frustration seemed to be rooted in the lost practice and game reps. The staff viewed Friday as an important chance for McCarthy to keep developing, and that opportunity slipped away when he wasn’t able to suit up.
After the game, O’Connell said, “We’re gonna work through that as a staff, see where he’s at from a health standpoint first and foremost.”
The ripple effect has reached roster projections, too. Alec Lewis of The Athletic left McCarthy off his final 53-man roster prediction, instead listing the Vikings as carrying just two quarterbacks: Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz. Lewis wrote that “McCarthy’s comfort (or lack thereof) with being QB3 could dictate his future in Minnesota.”
Lewis also noted that McCarthy’s week grew murkier after he left the second preseason game with an ankle injury, practiced Monday and Tuesday, then got Wednesday off so he could be ready for Friday’s finale. He wasn’t able to go, and Wentz started instead. Lewis added that the Vikings value Max Brosmer’s smarts and knowledge of the system, though his preseason performance has left questions about his future, as well.
For now, the biggest storyline is simple: Carson Wentz appears to have moved ahead of McCarthy on the depth chart, and the real question is how the young quarterback responds to another setback. If McCarthy accepts a QB3 role and uses scout team work the right way, the source suggests it could help him. If not, the Vikings may have a much tougher decision to make.
The roster deadline is Sunday at 5 p.m. CDT.
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