J.J. McCarthy probably isn’t in the driver’s seat in Minnesota at the moment.
Most likely, the Vikings‘ starting QB job for the 2026 NFL season is going to go to Kyler Murray, who signed early in the offseason after being cut by the Arizona Cardinals.
The former No. 1 overall pick brings a deeper skillset and lots more NFL experience. His upside could get the Vikings to big goals.
The expectation, though, would be that McCarthy slots in as the backup. Maybe not so fast.
Sports Illustrated national NFL writer Connor Orr predicts that Carson Wentz will actually make more starts this season than McCarthy.
Wentz is under contract in Minnesota, too, and played some last season before a season-ending injury. He also has more NFL experience than McCarthy.
“All three Vikings quarterbacks—Wentz, McCarthy and Kyler Murray—will play at some point this season,” Orr writes. “Murray will get the lion’s share of snaps while Wentz steps in during a critical two-game late-season stretch to keep Minnesota’s playoff hopes alive.”
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That’s a fascinatingly specific prediction, too. Wentz playing for the Vikings’ playoff lives would be compelling stuff.
It also raises the question of what has happened to McCarthy by that point. Is he injured, or just leapfrogged by Wentz?
Either way, this doesn’t bode well for McCarthy’s long-term future in Minnesota. The more that national NFL writers analyze this situation, the more it seems McCarthy won’t be a Vikings QB for all that much longer.
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