The Minnesota Vikings drafted J.J. McCarthy with the 10th overall pick two years ago, and it has not worked out. Now, a former NFL offensive lineman thinks he’s not cut out for the NFL. Could McCarthy’s days with the Vikings be numbered?
The Vikings recently named Kyler Murray their starting quarterback over McCarthy, and now there’s talk that McCarthy may not even beat out Carson Wentz as the team’s QB2.
J.J. McCarthy’s Vikings Tenure Could Be Coming To An End
McCarthy sat behind Sam Darnold his entire rookie season as the Vikings made the playoffs and the offense looked very strong. Minnesota decided McCarthy was ready for the 2025 season and let Darnold walk. However, the young quarterback played in just 10 games as he battled injuries, passing for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
Heading into 2026, three-time Super Bowl champion Mark Schlereth believes McCarthy’s time with the Vikings is coming to an end.
“If you look at J.J. McCarthy and you read the tea leaves, it would tell you that the Minnesota Vikings don’t feel like he can play,” Schlereth said on his the “Stinkin’ Truth Podcast.” “They don’t feel like he loves it. They don’t feel like that’s in his blood.”
Schlereth added he’s never met the quarterback, but he referenced the injury during his rookie year that sidelined McCarthy for the rest of the year. While the plan was never for McCarthy to start that season, it was valuable developmental time behind Darnold.
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“Think about this. His rookie year, he tears his meniscus. And they say, ‘Hey, man, this could be a two-to-four week injury.’ And the next thing you know, he opts out of the season to have a meniscus repair,” Schlereth said. “So, he’s going to be out for the entirety of the season, which is going to push back his development.
“Obviously, that was a decision that he made. And I understand you’re trying to think about your future, you know, arthritis and all that other kind of stuff.”
Schlereth harped on the point that the injury went from two to four weeks to out for the season, though, saying that took precious time away from the young quarterback’s development. Then, he criticized McCarthy’s decision to sit out Week 3 of the preseason after the Vikings reportedly wanted him to play.
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“Then, this scenario where you bring in Kyler Murray to compete with him for the starting quarterback job, and all of a sudden I’m looking at the third preseason game and, oh, by the way, you also brought in Carson Wentz, who’s your second-team quarterback, and now J.J. McCarthy falls down the depth chart,” Schlereth continued. “If you’re a competitor, you know what competitors do? They compete. I say this all the time. I don’t care if we’re washing dishes. I want to whoop your [expletive] at washing dishes.
“And usually, when it comes to whether you’re going to play or not, it’s not your decision. As a football player, you’re chomping at the bit to play.”
The former offensive lineman noted McCarthy’s health is important, but he couldn’t get past how easily the third-year quarterback has accepted being away from the field throughout his first two seasons and his lack of urgency.
If the Vikings choose to move on from McCarthy, Schlereth said a change of scenery is the best option for him.
