Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell told reporters Wednesday that QB J.J. McCarthy is going to be the No. 3 quarterback in Week 1 against the Packers, behind veteran QB Carson Wentz as the primary backup.
Via Alec Lewis, O’Connell added this would be a “week-to-week” determination.
This marks a change for the Vikings, as O’Connell said last month the plan was for McCarthy to be the No. 2 after losing the starting job to Kyler Murray.
The former first-rounder’s place as the backup was put in doubt given an ankle sprain late in the preseason that went from no big deal to a “multi-week injury.”
McCarthy dropping to No. 3 on the depth chart is not going to do anything to cool the trade speculation around him, as most teams expect his future to be outside Minnesota.
Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell has been consistent with his public messaging that he wants to keep working with McCarthy. However, O’Connell’s relationship with McCarthy has been under the microscope, with rumors persisting that former GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was more invested in the pick than O’Connell, something the coach actually addressed specifically at one point this month.
Murray is only under contract for this season and has a no-tag clause, while McCarthy has one more year left on his rookie deal in 2027. If the Vikings traded McCarthy, they would get back dramatically less than the top-10 pick they invested to draft him, perhaps a fourth-rounder at best.
It’s also possible McCarthy could push for a trade and a fresh start, which is another wrinkle to consider in this situation.
McCarthy, 23, led Michigan to a national championship in 2023 and was named first-team All-Big Ten. The Vikings used the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 draft on McCarthy.
He signed a four-year, $21,854,796 contract that included a $12,714,396 signing bonus and a fifth-year option for the team to pick up in 2028.
In 2025, McCarthy appeared in 10 games for the Vikings and completed 57.6 percent of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He also rushed for 181 yards and four touchdowns.
We’ll have more on McCarthy as the news becomes available.
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