The Minnesota Vikings aren’t getting ahead of themselves with regards to JJ McCarthy, as the team made clear on Wednesday the next steps for the much-maligned quarterback as the end of the preseason draws near.
McCarthy, who by his own admission got “banged up” during a rough outing against the Baltimore Ravens last weekend, will miss practice on August 26 with an ankle injury.
However, the team’s hope is that McCarthy can recoup some of the reps that injury cost him last week in the team’s preseason finale in Denver against the Broncos Friday.
“It’ll be a rest day for J.J. McCarthy today, Kevin O’Connell said,” Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune reported via X. “The #Vikings split the reps with McCarthy and Carson Wentz to take it easy on McCarthy’s ankle, O’Connell said. They’ve wanted him to start the final preseason game; they’ll work through the week and see if that’s possible.”
JJ McCarthy Has Failed to Dispel Notion He’s Injury-Prone
GettyQuarterback JJ McCarthy of the Minnesota Vikings.
McCarthy suffered his first demotion earlier this month when Minnesota awarded Kyler Murray the starting job before either QB had taken a snap in a preseason game.
Questions about McCarthy’s status as the backup have become prevalent in the time since Murray claimed the job, as Wentz out-dueled McCarthy in both of the first two preseason contests.
McCarthy looked particularly bad against the Ravens, completing 5-of-10 passes for 81 yards and missing multiple easy throws in high-leverage moments, such as on fourth down and around the end zone.
Beyond that, the injury he suffered brought up the most common refrain over the course of the former top 10 pick’s two-year NFL career: that he can’t stay healthy. McCarthy missed his entire rookie campaign with a knee injury/surgery and suffered a high-ankle sprain, concussion and hairline fracture in his throwing hand across 2025 that combined to limit him to just 10 starts.
Kevin O’Connell No Longer Caping Up for JJ McCarthy
GettyMinnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell.
O’Connell said ahead of the contest versus the Ravens that the QB2 competition remained open and that the Vikings will ultimately do what is best for the team.
Then came McCarthy’s poor performance and subsequent injury, after which Wentz split second-team reps with McCarthy for the first time since Murray earned the starting job.
The cascading events, which ostensibly indicate Wentz is picking up steam in the QB2 battle, led Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk to speculate seriously about the Vikings trading, or even cutting, McCarthy by the end of the month.
“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,” Florio wrote. “Ultimately, the Vikings may have to simply waive McCarthy.”
Some other league analysts have met that assertion with claims of inane alarmism given that McCarthy has two years remaining on his rookie contract.
However, there is a new general manager occupying the front office now in Nolan Teasley who has zero ties to McCarthy. The 23-year-old QB also appears to have lost his greatest ally in O’Connell as his stumble down the depth chart continues.
It is entirely possible that the Vikings need to see something meaningful from McCarthy against the Broncos on Friday, otherwise he may be in danger of starting the 2026 campaign as the third-string QB. And under those circumstances, a departure from the organization may not only prove possible, but imminent.
Vikings Announce JJ McCarthy Plans Amid Big Questions on Future