Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy faces skepticism in release of annual QB tiers

More bulletin board material for the 22-year-old Vikings quarterback.

Aug 9, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) before the game against the Houston Texans at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images | Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

While maybe not at the same level as Colin Cowherd, it would appear anonymous NFL executives are hesitant about Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy. In the latest edition of Mike Sando's annual QB tiers rankings, McCarthy checked in at No. 29 overall.

McCarthy is one of eight quarterbacks in Tier 4 of the 2025 rankings. What's a Tier 4 quarterback?

"A Tier 4 quarterback could be an unproven player (not enough information for voters to classify) or a veteran who ideally would not start all 17 games," Sando says. The Vikings' young quarterback came in just below Falcons starting quarterback and fellow 2024 first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. He's also just above former teammate Daniel Jones, who could wind up starting for the Colts.

Tier 4 QBs

26. Russell Wilson, Giants
27. Justin Fields, Jets
28. Michael Penix Jr., Falcons
29. J.J. McCarthy, Vikings
30. Daniel Jones, Colts
31. Joe Flacco, Browns
32. Anthony Richardson, Colts
33. Spencer Rattler, Saints

"I would have hope for him with that coach and that system if he can stay healthy," an anonymous former general manager is quoted in the article. "I believe in the head coach and the system. He has the arm strength, he is athletic, he is smart, he has all those things."

Sando did note that there appears to be a "perception" among some of the voters that Minnesota had reservations about McCarthy this offseason. Minnesota let Sam Darnold walk to open the door for McCarthy, but the Vikings were then repeatedly linked to Aaron Rodgers for months before he signed with Pittsburgh. However, ESPN's Adam Schefter later reported that Minnesota "never got close" to offering Rodgers a contract.

"I don't just hear slam dunk stuff out of there," one head coach reportedly said about McCarthy.

Taking it himself!@jjmccarthy09

📺: @FOX9 | @NFLNetwork pic.twitter.com/jK0mudQsSA

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 9, 2025

McCarthy, 22, was 4-of-7 passing for 30 yards during his lone drive in Saturday's preseason opener against the Texans. It was possibly the only preseason action we'll see from McCarthy before the season opener on Monday Night Football in Chicago on Sept. 8.

"How healthy is he going to be? They are only doing one joint camp, with New England. He plays on Monday night at Chicago to open the season. I'm pretty interested to see what that looks like," another coach told The Athletic.

Related: Five things that stood out in Vikings' preseason opener against Texans

Former Vikings QBs on the list

Speaking of Darnold, he was the biggest riser from last year's poll, jumping up nine spots to No. 20. Darnold signed with the Seahawks following a surprising 2024 season in which he led the Vikings to a 14 wins and a spot in the Pro Bowl. However, two poor performances — in Week 17 and in the Wild Card round — still lingers in some voters' minds, with one saying, "I like Darnold, but the end of the season killed me."

On the opposite end, former Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins is the biggest faller in this year's list, dropping a whopping 12 places. Cousins joined the Falcons last offseason and was benched in the first season of his four-year contract. Both Cousins and Darnold are listed as Tier 3 quarterbacks.

NFC North rivals

McCarthy's No. 29 ranking puts him dead last in what appears to be a very competitive NFC North. Detroit's Jared Goff (No. 8) and Green Bay's Jordan Love (No. 13) both landed in Tier 2, while Chicago's Caleb Williams (No. 23) ended up in Tier 3.