The Vikings’ handling of J.J. McCarthy keeps looking worse by the week, and his latest outing with the Giants only sharpened the contrast.
Minnesota passed on sticking with Sam Darnold last year, even after he delivered a productive season and eventually won a Super Bowl, then turned to McCarthy as the starter in 2025. That move never really took hold. McCarthy’s second season was underwhelming and piled up injuries, and the Vikings made another change this offseason by bringing in former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray rather than continuing to build around their young passer.
With McCarthy squeezed off the depth chart and no clear path to playing time, Minnesota dealt him to the New York Giants. He didn’t get on the field right away, but once he finally did against the New Orleans Saints last week, he flashed big-time production, throwing for 243 yards in just one quarter.
That showing was enough to push him into the starting job. In his first start for New York, McCarthy threw for 252 yards and guided the Giants to a 27-21 win over the Houston Texans.
While McCarthy is thriving in one of the league’s biggest markets, the Vikings’ offense is still stuck in neutral. Minnesota is 6-0, but the numbers tell a strange story: the team is averaging 21.8 points per game and sits in the bottom third of the NFL in yards per game.
Murray has not given the Vikings the kind of upgrade they were hoping for. He has thrown only three touchdowns in four games he’s started and finished, and he’s averaging fewer than 200 passing yards per game.
The Vikings drafted McCarthy as the future of the franchise, but they never showed much patience with him. Right now, that decision looks like it could come back to haunt them, especially with Murray looking like the inconsistent quarterback he was in Arizona and McCarthy starting to look like the player Minnesota thought it was getting.
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Vikings Are 6-0 But Fans Can See The Real Test Coming
The Vikings have turned a 6-0 start into one of the NFLs early surprises, and it has not happened the way most unbeaten teams usually look. Minnesotas defense, with Brian Flores setting the tone, has been the driving force, allowing the fewest points per game in the league and keeping the team afloat while the offense has searched for a steadier rhythm.
Minnesota has scored just 125 points through six games, tied for the second-fewest by any 6-0 team since 1950, which is why the unbeaten record comes with a little more caution than celebration. The schedule is about to offer a much tougher read on where this team really stands, with the Lions, Bills, Packers and 49ers up next and three of those games on the road. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Suddenly Have A Week 8 D Line Decision To Make
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Domonique Orange is the next name to watch here, especially after showing some improvement in his performance grades. If Banks is sidelined against the Lions, Orange could be in line for a bigger role in the rotation, giving Minnesota another look at a young interior piece it has been trying to bring along carefully. [Read more 🡒]
Jakobe Thomas Keeps Waiting As Vikings Safety Battle Gets Tougher
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For Thomas, the assignment is less about waiting for an opening than about making himself impossible to ignore in practice and on special teams. Minnesota can afford patience when the current trio is playing at a high level, but the competition at safety is not going to ease up on its own, which means Thomas will have to keep building toward a chance that may still be some time away. [Read more 🡒]