J.J. McCarthy’s Tenure with the Vikings Featured One Big High and Plenty of Lows

The Vikings have pulled the plug on the J.J. McCarthy experiment.

On Monday, the club finalized a trade to send the 23-year-old quarterback to the Giants—who lost Jaxson Dart for the season last week due to a knee injury—in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round pick. The move marks the official end to what can now be labeled a tumultuous tenure in Minnesota.

After putting together an incredible two-year stint as the starting quarterback at the University of Michigan—one that saw him tally a 27–1 record, account for 59 total touchdowns and win the 2023 national championship—McCarthy was selected with the No. 10 pick in the NFL draft by the Vikings, who moved up one slot with the Jets to do so.

Since then, it’s been a roller-coaster start to McCarthy’s NFL career, one that has featured far more lows than highs. Here’s a look back at the quarterback’s 886-day stint in Minnesota.

J.J. McCarthy career timeline: A look back at his tumultuous tenure with the Vikings

McCarthy, O'Connell. — J.J. McCarthy is headed to the Giants. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

April 25, 2024: Vikings trade up to select McCarthy

Despite signing veteran Sam Darnold to a one-year, $10 million deal in the offseason, the Vikings went big-game hunting in the first round of the 2024 draft. Minnesota had gone 7–10 the season before and lost Kirk Cousins to a torn Achilles before letting him leave in free agency. They needed an answer under center now and for the future.

Enter McCarthy.

Sitting at the No. 11 spot in the first round, the Vikings watched as Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and Michael Penix Jr. were selected within the draft’s first eight picks. Both teams were in position to select a signal-caller, and as Denver’s coach Sean Payton admitted later that night, he may have played a part in baiting Minnesota to trade up to No. 10 to draft McCarthy before they selected Oregon’s Bo Nix at No. 12.

“I was actively involved in trying to pretend we were moving forward,” Payton told reporters, with a smirk on his face, at the end of the first round. “In other words, it’s this time of the year, and it’s difficult, and we want to keep our options open. … When it comes to something this specific relative to the quarterback, you just don’t want others to know that this is [your] focal point.”

Still, both teams ultimately seemed happy with their selections.

“We went into this entire draft process … with the mindset of identifying a quarterback of the future that we could really bring in here and begin the process of coaching and teaching in our environment, our team, our players,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell explained of the selection. “We really identified skill set, intangibles, and what we hoped to acquire in a player, and I think we were able to do that in J.J. McCarthy.”

Aug. 10, 2024: McCarthy’s rookie season ends before it begins

The Vikings named McCarthy their backup quarterback to begin his rookie training camp, a decision that O’Connell said was based on the spring that Darnold had with the club. That meant plenty of work for McCarthy with Minnesota’s second-team offense—and, ideally, an abundance of preseason reps.

J.J. McCarthy. — McCarthy was injured in his first preseason game. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Unfortunately, after playing six drives in Minnesota’s 2024 preseason opener against the Raiders, McCarthy reported soreness in practice the next day and was found to have torn the meniscus in his right knee. He underwent surgery, was placed on injured reserve and missed the entirety of his rookie season.

The Vikings finished second in the NFC North with a 14–3 record, and Darnold earned his first career Pro Bowl honors after posting career highs in passing yards (4,319), passing touchdowns (35) and passer rating (102.5).

Nov. 13, 2024: McCarthy undergoes second surgery on injured right knee

Amid his recovery and rehab from surgery, some swelling developed in McCarthy’s right knee—which resulted in a setback for the signal-caller. He underwent a second surgery and was given a biologic injection, though the procedure reportedly did not affect his readiness for the 2025 season.

March 13, 2025: Darnold signs $100 million contract with Seahawks, paving the way for McCarthy to start in Minnesota

Darnold’s career season put the Vikings in a bit of a predicament: Move forward with the quarterback who led you to a postseason berth, or let him leave in free agency in favor of McCarthy. They chose the latter, as Darnold signed a three-year, $100 million contract with the Seahawks—while McCarthy was ultimately named Minnesota’s starting quarterback to begin the 2025 season.

Sept. 8, 2025: McCarthy earns NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors in first-career start

McCarthy made his NFL debut in the Vikings’ 2025 season opener against the division-rival Bears in Chicago on Monday Night Football, and much like the rest of his career, it was an up-and-down performance—though this one ended on a positive note.

After leading Minnesota to six points through three quarters and falling into a 17–6 hole, McCarthy orchestrated three consecutive touchdown drives in the game's final frame to complete a 27–24 comeback victory over the Bears. The then 22-year-old was 13-of-20 (65%) for 143 yards, two touchdowns and an interception while also adding 25 yards and a score on the ground. McCarthy was named the NFC’s Offensive Player of the Week for his gutsy performance.

Sept. 14, 2025: McCarthy sustains high-ankle sprain in Week 2

McCarthy’s second career start was far more anticlimactic than his first. Not only did the quarterback turn the ball over three times in a 22–6 loss to the Falcons, but he also sustained a high-ankle sprain. O’Connell originally announced that McCarthy came into Minnesota’s building “very, very sore … with the ankle sprained,” but that the team wouldn’t place him on short-term injured reserve.

They probably should have, as McCarthy ultimately missed the Vikings’ next five games—taking up a roster spot in the process—before returning for a Week 9 battle against the Lions.

Nov. 2, 2025: Vikings beat Lions in McCarthy’s return, ‘Nine’ memes ensue

Minnesota handed the reins back to a healthy McCarthy after two consecutive losses, and the quarterback delivered. In his third career start, McCarthy threw for 143 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, added another score on the ground, and helped the Vikings to a 27–24 upset win over the Lions. During Minnesota’s postgame locker room celebration, O’Connell gave McCarthy a game ball for his performance.

“It’s been a long road back,” said the head coach. “Nobody wants to be on the grass more than you. But this team will ride with you.”

.@jjmccarthy09 got the @Vikings back on track 🔥@insidetheNFL Week 9 Big Game Edit on X pic.twitter.com/mQPzNaonaB
— NFL (@NFL) November 4, 2025

McCarthy’s reaction to O’Connell’s speech—a nodding head that featured somewhat of an evil grin—became quite the infamous meme in the process. The quarterback was asked about his intensity later that week, and admitted that he has a name for his alter ego: Nine.

“For me, I call him ‘Nine,’” McCarthy said in reference to his second self, which he named after his jersey number. “Nine comes out, and I got to understand, like, ‘O.K., he can’t be at his peak performance throughout three and a half hours.’ So how do I find little ways on the sideline to get back to my breath, get back to my visualization, that can kind of maintain that intense competitive stamina throughout the whole game. But yeah, it’s just the pure will and determination to get the job done.”

“Nine” became somewhat of a viral internet sensation, but it was for all the wrong reasons as McCarthy continued to struggle.

Nov. 28, 2025: McCarthy’s play bottoms out before he misses Week 13 with a concussion

The Vikings would go on to lose their next three games with McCarthy at the helm, falling to 4–7 on the year. At the time, McCarthy had completed only 54% of his passes for 929 yards, six touchdowns and 10 interceptions, a stat line that added up to a 57.9 passer rating—the fifth-worst through a quarterback’s first six starts in NFL history.

Even worse, McCarthy sustained a concussion in Minnesota’s Week 12 loss to the Packers and would miss the following week.

Dec. 14, 2025: Much to O’Connell’s chagrin, McCarthy does the Griddy across the goal line while scoring a Week 15 touchdown

McCarthy returned, again, from injury in Week 14 and was part of a Vikings’ shutout win over the Commanders. The following Sunday, however, a bit of a public tiff between the quarterback and his coach began to make the rounds.

While running across the goal line for a touchdown against the Cowboys in Dallas, McCarthy paid homage to his teammate Justin Jefferson by hitting his signature celebration, The Griddy. O’Connell didn’t sound too pleased about it after the game.

“The finish [to the run], I would not classify as special,” the coach explained in his postgame press conference. “It was entertaining; I guess we are in the entertainment business, but I would have preferred him to show that 40 time that he likes to talk about having never run a 40 coming out [of college], which was unique, to say the least.”

McCarthy, meanwhile, said that he had hit the celebration in practice and was told not to do it—which he admitted made him more enticed to do so. According to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, the quarterback’s confession “did not sit well internally” and fed into the team’s growing concern about his maturity.

Dec. 21, 2025: Another week, another injury for McCarthy

In the Vikings’ Week 16 matchup against the Giants, McCarthy helped the team to a third consecutive win. Unfortunately, he was also dealing with yet another injury.

At some point in the first half, McCarthy sustained a hairline fracture in his right hand. X-rays were ultimately negative, but the injury caused him to miss Minnesota’s Week 17 matchup against the Lions.

Jan. 4, 2026: McCarthy finishes season with four consecutive wins

McCarthy returned for the Vikings’ season finale and led them to a 16–3 win over the Packers—who were sitting their starters in anticipation of the postseason. It was Minnesota’s sixth win of the season with McCarthy at the helm.

Overall, McCarthy went 6–4 over 10 starts in 2025, but completed just 57.6% of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a passer rating of just 72.6. Needless to say, his performance left the Vikings with far more questions than answers at the quarterback position heading into 2026.

March 12, 2026: Vikings sign Kyler Murray to one-year deal

Despite calling this spring a “big offseason” for McCarthy, O’Connell and the Vikings went into free agency looking to add at the quarterback position, signing Kyler Murray.

Minnesota inked the former No. 1 pick to a one-year deal worth the league minimum—as he is still being paid by the Cardinals—in an effort to “elevate the situation in [the] quarterback room.”

“I think we accomplished a goal, which was to add a really talented player with some experience to that room,” O’Connell said of the signing. “It’s something I’m really excited about, as we set out to elevate the situation in that quarterback room, being very competitive. … When you actually dive in and really study Kyler’s experience at the position, you do see a lot of really great qualities that fit into some of the things we ask our quarterbacks to do. I think Kyler’s an accurate player. I think he’s learned to play with really solid fundamentals in the pass game. He can make all the throws.”

Murray, McCarthy. — The Vikings signed Kyler Murray to a one-year deal this offseason. | David Berding/Getty Images

O’Connell also explained that McCarthy knew that the Vikings would be adding somebody else to the room, and insinuated that the two would compete for the starting quarterback job.

“Unless I’m confused in any way, shape or form, I don’t believe we have to name one of those currently.”

May 27, 2026: McCarthy gets candid about relationship with Murray

During the team’s offseason program in late May, McCarthy met with the media and spoke about the Vikings’ signing of Murray.

“The organization made a decision that they feel is going to improve the depth and quality of the room,” he explained. “... All I’m thinking about is continuing the upward trajectory I set for myself in the last quarter of the season and continuing to be the best version of me every single day.”

McCarthy also spoke about his relationship with the veteran Murray, and while he said there isn’t any “awkwardness,” he struck a pretty standoffish tone.

“It’s just like two guys in a classroom,” he said. “[Murray] sits on one side, and I sit on the other side, and it’s the coaches’ responsibility to teach us and coach us. … It’s just like the same feeling when you’re in high school, and there’s another person on the other side of the room. That’s just kind of how it is.”

August 11, 2026: Murray wins starting quarterback job over McCarthy

Before the Vikings even began their preseason schedule in the summer, O’Connell announced that Murray had won the starting quarterback job over McCarthy.

“He’s got the skill set and the abilities not only just from the standpoint of accuracy and his ability to affect the game with his athleticism, but he’s also proven to be smart, very hardworking, and be able to take in a lot of information and churn that out,” O’Connell said of Murray. “Now we really want to give him the opportunity to really start building a comfort level not only with the system but with the guys.”

On McCarthy, the coach said that he still believed he had a future with the organization, even though Murray won the job.

“As he knows, he’s holding the pen on his story, and we’re going to support him and try to just help him continue to improve as a young player in the most difficult position in sports.”

Sept. 9, 2026: McCarthy relegated to Vikings’ No. 3 QB role

After losing the starting job to Murray, McCarthy was then tasked with trying to win the team’s backup role in a competition with Carson Wentz. He was set to start Minnesota’s preseason finale against the Broncos, but after taking it slow at practice due to an ankle injury he sustained the week before, he sat out against Denver.

Wentz, McCarthy. — Carson Wentz beat out McCarthy for the Vikings' backup QB job. | Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

As such, the Vikings named Wentz the backup to Murray—relegating McCarthy to the No. 3 role.

“Carson will be the backup on Sunday,” O’Connell told reporters ahead of Week 1. “And J.J. will obviously be the third guy. I’m looking at that as a week-to-week thing. Carson has got almost 100 career starts; what he was able to do last year, from a standpoint of very limited repetition but being able to apply a career’s worth of experience—that’s kind of what you need to do as a backup quarterback. … This gives us the best chance to win this Sunday.”

Sept. 28, 2026: Vikings trade McCarthy to Giants for 2027 fifth-round pick

The Vikings finalized their deal with the Giants on Monday, sending McCarthy to the Giants for a 2027 fifth-round pick. It’s the end of what was ultimately a failed test to reset the team’s quarterback room with a young, potential franchise quarterback. They’ll instead move forward with Murray—at least for 2026—before again looking to figure out their future at the position this coming offseason.

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