J.J. McCarthy may have lost the Minnesota Vikings' starting quarterback job to Kyler Murray, but that didn't necessarily mean the former top-10 draft pick was done in Minnesota. A year as Murray's backup could've theoretically proved beneficial for a signal-caller who still clearly needs to learn the nuances of playing quarterback at the professional level. There was a roadmap to him becoming successful
, albeit an unlikely one.The Vikings have other plans, and they clearly don't involve McCarthy at the short or long-term level.
On Wednesday, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell revealed that McCarthy will not, in fact, be Murray's backup for the time being. That honor will instead go to Carson Wentz, another former failed top draft pick for the Philadelphia
Eagles, who has since somewhat revitalized his NFL career as a steady backup quarterback. Well, I guess if there's anyone for McCarthy to learn from now, it'd be Wentz and the weird journey he's had since leaving Philadelphia in 2021.
Otherwise, it's probably safe to say the Vikings are already writing off even salvaging McCarthy's two remaining years under contract with the team. You don't put CARSON WENTZ above a young quarterback and say you still have confidence in their ability:
Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell announced Carson Wentz will be the No. 2 backup QB on Sunday vs. the Packers and J.J. McCarthy will be QB3.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 9, 2026
If there's any consolation for McCarthy, he's still earning roughly $5 million in salary this season. That's a lot better than many third-string quarterbacks, dearest readers, and is a lot of money in any context. I'm sure he'd have loved earning that kind of wealth under better circumstances, but it is a legitimate silver lining for a young player whose franchise is unsubtly and quickly giving up on him.
What is the earliest the Vikings can release J.J. McCarthy?
Technically speaking, the Vikings can move on from McCarthy at any point. It's just a matter of maximizing their salary cap savings from his release. Cutting McCarthy in 2027, as he enters a contract year, would mean Minnesota would only incur a roughly $3 million hit in dead salary cap money. At this point, with this demotion news, that should probably be the expectation for McCarthy's near-future in the NFL.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: J.J. McCarthy’s fall from grace continues with humbling Vikings demotion
