The Vikings head into their preseason finale with more questions in the quarterback room than they probably expected this late in August.
Minnesota closes exhibition play in Denver on Friday night, a day earlier than its first two preseason games, and then gets 16 days to clean things up before opening the regular season at U.S. Bank Stadium against the Green Bay Packers. For Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores, the priority this week is simple: get through it healthy.
That means most of the projected 53-man roster won’t be taking the field against the Broncos. Plenty of starters already stayed in street clothes during Saturday’s 13-3 loss to the Ravens, and this week’s sideline is expected to be packed with players who won’t be in uniform.
The real intrigue is at quarterback.
O’Connell is scheduled to speak with the media, and the biggest question is which quarterbacks will actually play Friday. On Tuesday, though, the Vikings added another layer to the conversation when J.J. McCarthy and Carson Wentz split second-team reps in practice.
In a relatively brief Vikings practice (80 minutes) today, J.J. McCarthy and Carson Wentz split second-team reps.
- Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) August 25, 2026
That matters because Minnesota only has three quarterbacks on the roster right now: McCarthy, Wentz, and Max Brosmer. The team hasn’t worked out or signed anyone else to soak up snaps, so either McCarthy or Wentz figures to be active for the preseason finale. Brosmer, meanwhile, should see plenty of work regardless.
McCarthy’s status is also worth watching because he was “banged up” against the Ravens, which could influence how the Vikings handle him on Friday.
Once the game ends, the roster squeeze begins. Minnesota has to cut from 90 players to 53, and there are always a few surprises when that process starts. This time, the quarterback group is firmly in the spotlight.
On Tuesday night, ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio raised the possibility that the Vikings could be forced into an extreme outcome with McCarthy, their 2024 first-round pick. Florio said Minnesota might have to waive him as part of the cutdown, or at least absorb part of his remaining rookie salary to make a deal happen.
With Max Brosmer also on the roster, McCarthy could be in danger of not being on the roster by Sunday, when the rosters reduce to 53. The Vikings undoubtedly would try to trade him, since the balance of his 2026 pay ($1.075 million) and all of his 2027 compensation ($3.775 million) are fully guaranteed. The Vikings may have to pay a significant chunk of the money in order to facilitate a deal.
Ultimately, the Vikings may have to simply waive McCarthy. It will be interesting to see whether and to what extent McCarthy plays in the preseason finale against the Broncos.
Mike Florio - ProFootballTalk.com
That would be a stunning turn, and Florio’s point is that Minnesota would almost certainly try to trade McCarthy first. But the financial piece complicates things, and if the Vikings needed to move him, they might have to cover a chunk of the money to get it done.
There’s also the possibility that McCarthy simply settles in as QB3 if O’Connell gives Carson Wentz the backup job. In that scenario, McCarthy would accept a role as the scout team quarterback and keep grinding.
Still, this has been a topic for a while. Questions about whether McCarthy and his camp would quietly accept that role, or push for a trade, have been floating around since last offseason.
If things get messy behind the scenes, Minnesota would likely have to shop him. And if that happened, there should be interest. It’s hard to imagine the Vikings giving up on their investment unless they had no other choice.
Even then, a day-three pick might be enough to get a team in the mix for a young quarterback with McCarthy’s raw talent.
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