It’s been all doom and gloom on the JJ McCarthy front since the Minnesota Vikings named Kyler Murray the starter on August 12. The young signal-caller’s future has been a significant point of contention among the fanbase and an equally massive source of speculation around the league.
Many thought it was a foregone conclusion that he’d be traded, and some even questioned whether he might not survive final roster cuts. Those rumblings weren’t spawned by sensationalist bloggers, either. The common sentiment shared by the media was that the writing was already on the wall.
The Athletic’s Alec Lewis, who has connections inside the Vikings’ building, left McCarthy off his final 53-man prediction that dropped on Saturday morning.
“McCarthy’s rough week added further murkiness about his status for 2026. The 23-year-old exited the second preseason game with an ankle injury, then practiced Monday and Tuesday,” Lewis wrote. “O’Connell gave him the day off Wednesday so that he could rest up enough to start Friday’s final preseason matchup with the Broncos. But McCarthy did not play. Wentz started and appears to be in line to be the team’s backup. McCarthy’s comfort (or lack thereof) with being QB3 could dictate his future in Minnesota.”
Lewis wasn’t alone, either. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio shared a similar sentiment last week.
“Ultimately, the Vikings may have to simply waive McCarthy,” Florio wrote. “However it plays out, it’s not looking good for McCarthy in Minnesota. It will be interesting to see whether and to what extent McCarthy plays in the preseason finale against the [Denver] Broncos.”
However, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer doesn’t believe a divorce is imminent. He gave his take on the JJ McCarthy situation in Minnesota, and it’s a lot different than what we’ve been hearing on that front recently.
“I have gotten the sense, for what it’s worth, that Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell wants to keep working with J.J. McCarthy.” Breer wrote.
Max Brosmer’s Release Paints A Clear Picture For JJ McCarthy
The Vikings picked up some much-needed depth along the interior of their offensive line off waivers today, and they had to cut two players in the process. One of those players was fourth-string QB Max Brosmer.
Many thought they might have been holding onto Brosmer (who didn’t stand a puncher’s chance on waivers) in case they traded McCarthy. Welp, so much for that theory.
With Brosmer out of the picture, Murray, Carson Wentz, and McCarthy are the three remaining QBs on the roster. While Wentz would be the next man up if McCarthy were to go down, the fact that the room has become lighter is seemingly a great sign for the 23-year-old.
Kevin O’Connell Isn’t Ready To Give Up On His Word Yet
When asked about developing young QBs last offseason, O’Connell famously said that, “Organizations fail young quarterbacks before young quarterbacks fail organizations.” Naturally, with the Vikings opting to bench their former 10th overall pick (after only 10 career starts) in favor of Kyler Murray, many have recirculated that quote as clear hypocrisy.
Well, if Breer’s reporting is accurate, then that criticism is somewhat unjust. He’s not ready to throw in the towel on their highly-drafted investment. He could feel McCarthy needs some time to develop before throwing him back into the fire.
While it’s still too early to accurately assess the situation, it seems pretty clear that McCarthy stands a good chance of sticking around with Minnesota in 2026.
National Insider Puts JJ McCarthy Trade Rumors To Rest