JJ McCarthy had an opportunity to cement his roster status in the Vikings preseason finale against the Denver Broncos. With Max Brosmer failing to inspire much confidence, he could’ve done that with a lukewarm showing.
Nevertheless, McCarthy didn’t feel healthy enough to play. The ankle injury he suffered last week against Baltimore left him on the sidelines. TheAthletic’s Alec Lewis believes that might’ve been the death knell to the signal-caller’s career in Minnesota. He left McCarthy out of his final 53-man projection this 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.”
Notably, Lewis also had the Vikings only keeping two QBs – Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz. Brosmer was also left off his final 53-man prediction.
“The Vikings value Brosmer’s smarts and knowledge of the system, but his lackluster preseason performance casts some doubt on his future, as well.” Lewis wrote.
Brosmer would probably land back on the practice squad after passing through waivers. The same cannot be said for McCarthy, though. However, it’s fair to question whether they would even want to bring him back into the fold at this point, anyway.
Some Questioned The Legitimacy of JJ McCarthy’s Injury
When speaking to reporters after the game, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell made it sound like McCarthy was the one who made the final decision to sit out.
“We hoped to get him turned over,” Kevin O’Connell said. “The goal was to have him start the game tonight and try to get him a half if we could. We just couldn’t get him there.”
Whether McCarthy was the one who pulled the trigger, or it was a potential ruse on O’Connell’s part (to keep him healthy ahead of an impending trade), his absence gives some credence to KSTP’s Darren Wolfson’s speculation that the injury didn’t add up.
“So JJ McCarthy practices on Monday, he practices on Tuesday. He practices on Tuesday. Then all of a sudden can’t go yesterday,” Wolfson said. “I’m not buying it. I’m sorry. That was goofy watching him walk. He was walking normally. It just didn’t add up to me.”
Would They Find A Trade Partner For The Third-Year QB?
At this point, it seems like the marriage is bound to end in divorce. The writing is already on the wall, and there’s no need for them to have a metaphorical baby (maybe by naming McCarthy QB2?) to mend fences.
His future in Minnesota is all but shot. If he did sit out when the coaching staff thought he was healthy enough to play, this would probably be the straw that broke the camel’s back. The question would then become what (if anything) they would get for McCarthy. If they find a trade partner, they probably wouldn’t get much. A sixth- or seventh-round pick seems likely at this point.
However, what if other teams stay patient knowing he’s on the outs in Minnesota? Would the Vikings really release the guy who they spent the tenth overall pick on two years ago? It seems preposterous on its surface, but crazier things have happened. They’ve also happened to players who’ve shown a lot more promise than McCarthy has thus far.
Get your popcorn ready. The JJ McCarthy situation is one to watch closely over the next few days.
Vikings Insider Believes JJ McCarthy Has Played His Last Snap In Minnesota