The Minnesota Vikings suffered a brutal 34-6 loss to the Denver Broncos on Friday, but the most significant development may have been J.J. McCarthy’s absence from the game.
While the Vikings have yet to make a final decision on his future, McCarthy’s decision to sit out the Broncos matchup has only added to the speculation around his future. Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe has also weighed in on the turn of events, calling on the Vikings to move on from their experiment with McCarthy.
Shannon Sharpe Makes a Case For Vikings to Trade J.J. McCarthy
McCarthy didn’t play on Friday night after suffering an ankle injury the previous Saturday against the Baltimore Ravens. The timing is significant, with NFL teams approaching the deadline to trim their rosters to 53 players.
Unless Minnesota intends to carry four quarterbacks, the Vikings could be forced to decide between McCarthy and Max Brosmer if Carson Wentz secures the QB2 role behind Kyler Murray.
McCarthy’s situation became a major talking point on Friday’s episode of the “Nightcap” podcast, where hosts Shannon Sharpe, Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, and Joe Johnson questioned his standing in Minnesota after he missed the Vikings’ final preseason game.
Sharpe believes McCarthy may have already fallen behind Brosmer in the quarterback competition.
“He’s already lost the starting position,” Sharpe said. “Brosmer has outplayed him. So, I mean, the third quarterback, all things being equal, they might keep it because of his youth, but I’m not trusting him because it’s really hard.
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“He’s been injured a lot himself… But I still trust him in a game that means something, and you have to win more, so I trust J.J. McCarthy.”
The Big 3 says JJ McCarthy is checked out of the Vikings locker room after sitting the last preseason game…A trade is inevitable 😬@ShannonSharpe | @ochocinco | @TheJoeJohnson7 | #Nightcap pic.twitter.com/vBHp0izo7D
— Nightcap (@NightcapShow_) August 29, 2026
Heading into the 2026 season, McCarthy is a long shot to land on short-term injured reserve, which would allow Minnesota to keep him off the initial 53-man roster while he recovers. However, another possibility is that the Vikings could decide to move on from their former first-round pick altogether.
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Sharpe laid out how he would structure Minnesota’s quarterback room for the upcoming season.
“If it were me, I would have Kyler as one, Brosmer as two, and then it’s a toss-up for three,” Sharpe added. “All things being equal, I think I would try and trade J.J. McCarthy, try to get draft compensation in the 2027 Draft.”
Availability has become a major concern for McCarthy since entering the NFL. He missed his entire rookie season after suffering a torn meniscus and then dealt with additional injuries and inconsistent performances during his first season as a starter.
McCarthy finished last season with a 67.0 PFN QB Impact grade, placing him 34th among quarterbacks in the league.
