It wasn’t supposed to go this way for J.J. McCarthy and the Minnesota Vikings. After he was picked in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the expectation was that he would become the face of the franchise, especially after a run to the national championship with Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan.
Just two years later, with 10 games of experience under his belt, the Vikings have handed the starting role to Kyler Murray, leaving McCarthy on the outside looking in and raising questions over his immediate future in the Twin Cities.
J.J. McCarthy May Not Be a Viking for Much Longer
After being drafted in the first round, injuries derailed his rookie season, forcing the Vikings to move forward with Sam Darnold. Despite over 4,000 yards and a 14-3 record, the team chose to show trust in McCarthy, letting Darnold walk in free agency.
As a result, McCarthy was named the starter for the 2025 campaign. But the results were far from perfect. Playing in just 10 games, he totalled a mere 1,632 yards and 11 touchdowns, and threw 12 interceptions.
A factor on the ground, he ran for 181 yards and four touchdowns, but when all was said and done, he was far from the ideal quarterback the Vikings had anticipated, finishing at number 34 (out of 39) in PFN’s QB Impact Metrics.
This offseason hasn’t changed a lot of opinions about him. After bringing in Murray in free agency, head coach Kevin O’Connell wanted a quarterback battle between the two. But it was made official earlier this month that the team would be rolling with the former Arizona Cardinals star.
From there, though, things have quickly deteriorated for McCarthy. After underwhelming showings in the first two preseason games, Mike Florio of NBC Sports had an eyebrow-raising update on his future with the Vikings.
“With J.J. McCarthy and Carson Wentz reportedly splitting second-team reps on Tuesday, McCarthy could be gone by Sunday, when the rosters reduce to 53,” Florio remarked, leaving fans understandably stunned.
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Given how much the Vikings have already invested in the youngster, Nick Wilson of 92.3 The Fan exclaimed, “Waiving McCarthy would be a wild development.”
“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…The Vikings may have to pay a significant chunk of the money in order to facilitate a deal.”
Ooofta, could be a wild week if it plays… https://t.co/4UG9sr14oK
— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) August 25, 2026
One fan detailed, “Ooofta, could be a wild week if it plays out like Florio is opining.”
Some fans, though, saw this as an inevitability. One fan, “If the Vikings could franchise tag Kyler, JJ would be gone.” Given the new wave of athletes trying to return to the collegiate landscape if their NFL career doesn’t pan out, one person joked, “He can go back to Michigan.”
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However, there were a few folks who were ready to defend the youngster.
Jeff Sunday was shocked the Vikings were trying to move in this direction, believing it to be terribly unfair to their former first-round pick.
“What an absolute embarrassment out of Minnesota right now. Listen, I’m no GM, I’m no scout, I’m no draft expert, but I was certainly against the Minnesota Vikings drafting J.J. McCarthy, the handout merchant out of Michigan, tenth overall,” he noted.
I’m not even a JJ McCarthy fan but it is INSANE to give up on him already https://t.co/XKWopqGk5w pic.twitter.com/J0gkE113yj
— Jeff Sunday (@TheDegenWeekly) August 26, 2026
But that didn’t excuse what the Vikings were doing.
“You draft a guy, he’s hurt his entire rookie season, his first full year that he’s healthy, you send him out Week 1 on the road against a divisional opponent, he wins, and guess what? He regresses. He’s not very good in his first year playing quarterback, when he was far from ready. That’s it? Year 3, he’s done? He’s done?”
Finally, he concluded, “This is insanity to give up on a dude you drafted 10th overall at the most important position in all of sports that takes probably the most time to get right and play. Crazy.”
It remains to be seen if the Vikings actually go through with such a move. But for the time being, all signs are indicating that McCarthy’s time could be nearing an end in Minnesota. Between cutting or trading him, though, the latter is a far more viable option.
But as an extremely young prospect, it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility that he gets another shot somewhere else. That would allow McCarthy to have a fresh start, while allowing the Vikings to recover some assets at the very least.
