The Minnesota Vikings have planted JJ McCarthy in the role of third-string quarterback, but may have an opportunity to trade the former No. 10 pick just one game into the new NFL season.
Sam Darnold, the former Vikings starter and reigning Super Bowl champion, left the league’s opening game on Wednesday night, September 9 with a hip injury. The Seattle Seahawks turned to backup QB Drew Lock and ended up defeating the New England Patriots by a score of 13-10.
However, as competently as Lock performed in the title rematch from February, the Seahawks may need to add another signal-caller if Darnold ends up missing an extended period of time.
McCarthy could be a buy-low solution to that problem depending on the team’s circumstances moving forward, as Jalen Milroe is Seattle’s third-string quarterback and has attempted just three passes since joining the league as a third-round pick out of Alabama in 2025.
JJ McCarthy Currently QB3 on Vikings’ Roster
Head coach Kevin O’Connell announced on Wednesday that Carson Wentz, not McCarthy, will serve as Minnesota’s backup quarterback behind starter Kyler Murray in Week 1 when the Vikings host the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium.
McCarthy is healthy, by all accounts, but lost both his starting job to Murray in August and the QB2 position to Wentz this month.
O’Connell noted that McCarthy will have a chance to play his way into the backup role, though whether he can remains to be seen.
“Carson will be the backup on Sunday, and JJ will obviously be the third guy. And really, I’m looking at that right now as a week-to-week thing,” O’Connell said. “JJ is still going to get a bunch of great work. I’m just really excited to continue to get the chance to work with him. We want to make it week-to-week so when we feel like when we need to declare something different, we can and we will.”
New Vikings General Manager Spent Years in Seahawks Organization
Minnesota has offered no clear indication that McCarthy is on the trade block, though the likelihood the team moves him grows with each passing quarterback injury around the league.
New Vikings general manager Nolan Teasley spent the last several years as a member of the Seahawks’ front office, which means he should have several strong connections remaining within that organization.
McCarthy may also be hunting a trade after missing his first season with a knee injury and starting only 10 games last year before the Vikings demoted him twice this offseason.
Alec Lewis of The Athletic brought up the notion that McCarthy may not even serve as the Vikings’ scout team quarterback over second-year undrafted signal-caller Max Brosmer, who is currently a member of the team’s practice squad.
“I’ll be curious too, like, who is the scout team QB?” Lewis said. “Will that be JJ McCarthy? Would the Vikings trust Max Brosmer, you know, as a practice squad player in that spot?”
If Darnold’s injury is severe enough that he misses several games, the Vikings may have a chance to move McCarthy soon, and the team could decide to jump on that opportunity depending on how things look moving forward.
Vikings Trade Pitch Flips JJ McCarthy to QB-Needy NFC Squad After Demotion