Not only is J.J. McCarthy not the Minnesota Vikings starting quarterback but he’s apparently not their backup quarterback, either.
On Wednesday, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell revealed that McCarthy will not, in fact, be Murray’s backup for the time being. That job will instead go to Carson Wentz. As for McCarthy? He’ll be the team’s No. 3 quarterback and will inactive on game days.
It’s a stunning fall for McCarthy, who was the No. 10 pick in the 2024 draft. After missing his entire rookie season in 2024, McCarthy took the reins as the starter in 2025 but ended up being injured, often. This past offseason the team signed Kyler Murray and held a quarterback competition between McCarthy and Murray that was pretty easily won by Murray.
The consolation for McCarthy is while the Vikings figure out his future, he’ll be earning roughly $5 million in salary this season.
The Vikings will open their season on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET against the Green Bay Packers.
