The Minnesota Vikings are between a rock and a hard place with QB J.J. McCarthy. One could say he needs more reps to adjust to the game, while another could say you can’t afford to put him on the field.
It’s been quite the rocky road for McCarthy to begin his NFL career. Injuries combined with shaky (and oftentimes, terrible) play have made his future with the Vikings murky. Minnesota decided they couldn’t trust him to be the uncontested starter again, and brought in Kyler Murray.
They advertised a QB competition all offseason long, and it was one that ended as it was expected. Kyler Murray came out victorious, and J.J. McCarthy was relegated to backup duty. The only thing that needs clarification on McCarthy’s role at this point is whether he will be QB2 or QB3.
A former Vikings GM tossed his opinion out into the NFL universe regarding the status of J.J. McCarthy’s career.
Vikings’ Former GM Jeff Diamond Talks on QB J.J. McCarthy
GettyMINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – AUGUST 22: J.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings looks to pass the ball against the Baltimore Ravens during the first quarter of the preseason game at U.S. Bank Stadium on August 22, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Former Vikings GM Jeff Diamond recently shared his opinions on the McCarthy situation in a piece for Vikings Territory.
“The way McCarthy’s early career has unfolded is not what the Vikings hoped for when they drafted him (as the highest drafted QB in franchise history) and projected him to be a future franchise QB. I still see McCarthy as a talented quarterback who the team should not give up on at this juncture, and they must continue to work on his mechanics, accuracy, and touch.”
It’s a fair assessment; Minnesota and its fans saw McCarthy as the future, and he’s more so starting to look like the past. “The J.J. McCarthy problem is very real as he is in Year 3 of his Vikings tenure,” continued Diamond. “If McCarthy sits behind Murray or gets only one or two starts this season, the Vikings almost certainly would not exercise McCarthy’s fifth-year option next year at a guaranteed amount of about $27-30 million for 2028, setting up McCarthy to be a free agent in 2028 (unless he somehow becomes the starter in 2027, plays great and the team puts the franchise tag on him for about $50 million).”
As recently as today, McCarthy was splitting second-team reps with Carson Wentz. Not only is McCarthy not guaranteed a future on the team, but he also isn’t guaranteed QB2 in 2026.
QB Carson Wentz Talks J.J. McCarthy, His Own Role on the Offense
GettyCarson Wentz #11 of the Minnesota Vikings during warm up before the game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on October 23, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Carson Wentz spoke with Kyle Joudry of Vikings Territory after practice. Joudry asked an interesting question, inquiring about how J.J. McCarthy has handled his demotion.
“I think he’s handled it well,” began Wentz. “It’s a tough business. It’s a tough league…tough with media, the pressure, all the things that come with it.” Joudry mentioned that Wentz “hastened to add” that “the story is far from written for him, for Kyler, and for myself.”
Wentz finished on the topic of McCarthy: “I think he’s gotten better since I got here. I’ve seen it firsthand.” Joudry then says he pivoted off of the McCarthy questioning and moved on to Carson Wentz’s own role on the Vikings. He shared the answer in full.
“Great question. It’s help the team however I can. Stay ready, whatever that looks like. Yeah, at the end of the day it’s why I signed here is to, if my number gets called, I’m confident in what I can do and what I can bring to the table within this system especially. So we’ll see how it all shakes out.”
Carson Wentz seems as supportive as he should be of the young QB. Even if they’re competing for the QB2 spot, they’re still teammates. Carson Wentz, of all people, knows how cruel the league can be.
Vikings’ Former GM Sends Blunt Message to J.J. McCarthy