The Minnesota Vikings’ first 53-man roster of the year came with an eyebrow-raising number at quarterback: four.
J.J. McCarthy and Max Brosmer both survived Sunday evening’s cutdown, joining veteran Carson Wentz and starter Kyler Murray on the initial roster. The group had been unsettled as recently as last week, when Minnesota still had not settled on who would serve as the backup behind Murray.
McCarthy’s status had drawn the most attention. Around the league, many expected the Vikings to look into trade options before the Sunday deadline.
Instead, he stayed put after sitting out Friday’s preseason finale against the Denver Broncos. Several team sources told The Athletic, on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the situation, that McCarthy was not comfortable enough to play because of an ankle injury.
His inactive status on game day came after a week of uncertainty surrounding him.
Brosmer’s path to the roster has been more of a fast-moving surprise. The 25-year-old completed 20 of 35 passes on Friday night, and Minnesota had already seen enough to believe in his upside when it signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Minnesota. Injuries pushed him into action earlier than the Vikings expected, and a thumb injury limited his preseason work.
Keeping four quarterbacks on a roster is not the kind of setup the Vikings are likely to carry into the 2026 season, and whether they even do so remains an open question. McCarthy, 23, is entering his third season with roster control through 2027. His lackluster 2025 performance led the team to sign Murray this spring.
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Vikings QB Debate Just Took A Brutal Turn For J.J. McCarthy
J.J. McCarthys path in Minnesota keeps getting messier as the Vikings head toward roster cuts, with reports now suggesting the quarterback is in danger of not making the 53-man roster. It is a stunning turn for a player once viewed as a central piece of the franchises future, especially after he missed his entire rookie season with an injury and then had to work through a year that did not provide much consistency.
The scrutiny around the Vikings handling of the quarterback spot has only grown, with analysts such as Paul Charchian criticizing the teams decisions involving McCarthy and Sam Darnold. Minnesotas recent choice to name Kyler Murray the starting quarterback for 2026 adds another layer to the uncertainty, leaving McCarthys standing in the organization suddenly very much in question. [Read more 🡒]
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Minnesotas depth chart still has a variable hanging over it in J.J. McCarthy, and if the Vikings decide to trade him or simply cut him before the deadline, the third-string job would need to be filled quickly. Mullens would make sense as a familiar, low-friction option, even if nothing is settled yet. For the Vikings, this is the sort of late-summer quarterback wrinkle that can look minor until a roster move forces the issue. [Read more 🡒]
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Hekker and Thorson reportedly posted similar preseason punting numbers, which makes the decision easy to debate. But Thorson now gets the nod entering the season, and the move also appears to come with a lighter financial commitment, giving the Vikings a younger option and a cheaper one as they sort out one of the more specialized spots on the roster. [Read more 🡒]