The Minnesota Vikings QB2 battle has been between Carson Wentz and J.J. McCarthy. Furthermore, it appears that Wentz won that competition, but should he have? At least one former NFL player believes that neither of these two players should back up Kyler Murray.
Minnesota wrapped up its preseason with a 34-6 loss to the Denver Broncos on Aug. 28 at Empower Field at Mile High. Wentz made a brief appearance while an injury kept McCarthy out of this game.
Nonetheless, former NFL tight end Shannon Sharpe believes Max Brosmer outplayed Wentz and McCarthy this preseason. Sharpe also questions the availability of the veteran and the former first-round pick, both of whom have an injury history.
“Brosmer has outplayed [McCarthy],” Sharpe said on the Aug. 28 edition of “Nightcap.” “All things being equal, they might keep him because of his youth, but I’m not trusting him. But it’s really hard because Wentz hasn’t been a picture of health. He’s been injured a lot himself. He got injured in Philly [and] got injured in Indy; he’s been injured damn near everywhere he’s been. But I still trust him in a game that means something and you have to win more so than I trust J.J. McCarthy.
“I think Brosmer has outplayed both of them, to be honest with you guys. So if it was me, I would have Kyler as one, Brosmer as two, and then it’s a toss-up for three. All things being equal, I think I would trade J.J. McCarthy and try to get draft compensation in the 2027 draft.”
In the loss to the Broncos, Brosmer went 20-for-35 on his pass attempts for 165 passing yards and posted a passer rating of 69.3.
Chad Johnson on J.J. McCarthy’s Availability
Moreover, in the same segment, former NFL wideout Chad Johnson also shared his concerns about the Vikings keeping McCarthy, given that the player cannot seem to stay healthy, having dealt with injuries in all three of his seasons in the league.
“I don’t know how serious his ankle injury was, but one of the issues that he does have is that he’s been injured most of the time since he’s been there,” Johnson said. “Here we go, we’re in the preseason, and you’re injured again.
“Maybe he thinks his spot is safe. He’s one of the few who needs to come in and be playing in a game like this to show that he still has it, because he might be auditioning as well for another team.”
Vikings Give J.J. McCarthy Update After Loss to Broncos
Now, heading into the 2026 NFL season, McCarthy is likely to be QB3; at least that’s what many expect. O’Connell didn’t share where the 23-year-old is on the depth chart as cutdown day on Aug. 30 nears.
“We’re going to obviously evaluate our entire depth chart,” O’Connell told reporters after the loss to the Broncos. “First and foremost, we’ve got to cut down our football team, which is going to be a tough couple of days, and figure out our practice squad and potential additions to the roster at different positions.
“We’re going to work through that as a staff and see where he’s at from a health standpoint, first and foremost. We don’t have any long-term concerns.”
Carson Wentz, J.J. McCarthy Get Brutal Verdict After Vikings Loss