3 Vikings With the Most to Prove Against the Giants: J.J. McCarthy's Future Is in His Hands

After two weeks of practices against their own teammates, the Vikings finally get the chance to face off against a different opponent this weekend as the team heads to New Jersey to face the Giants at MetLife Stadium at 12 p.m. CT Saturday.

Although preseason matchups can be easy to downplay, they carry significant weight for many players on the roster. The team is not only focused on setting its 53-man roster, but also on determining how often players who make the final cut see the field in regular-season action. For football diehards, the storylines and stakes are endless.

While Saturday's clash with the Giants will ultimately carry no meaningful weight for the Vikings' season, three players stand to gain the most with strong performances.

3. J.J. McCarthy, QB

J.J. McCarthy is easily the biggest story to follow for the remainder of the Vikings’ preseason.

After officially losing the team’s QB battle earlier this week, the future is uncertain for the former top-10 pick. Will he graciously accept a backup role behind Kyler Murray? Will he want a fresh start with a new team? So far, McCarthy is saying all the right things, but a strong preseason could go a long way toward setting him up for the future, whether that's in Minnesota or elsewhere.

Over the past two seasons, McCarthy has appeared in only two preseason games, including a brief appearance against the Texans in 2025. The third-year QB will look to recreate the preseason success he had against the Raiders in 2024, which skyrocketed expectations before a knee injury sidelined him for the year.

FINAL: @Vikings 24, Raiders 23

JJ McCarthy: 11/17, 188 yards, 2 TDs, INT, 116.8 passer rating pic.twitter.com/ikuOhENY4H
— NFL (@NFL) August 10, 2024

If McCarthy wants to be part of the team's future plans, a solid performance Saturday could go a long way towards building his case. It could also catch the eye of another QB-needy team if a change of scenery starts to make sense for both parties.

2. Ivan Pace Jr., LB

To say Ivan Pace’s NFL journey has been a roller coaster may be underselling it.

Pace signed with the Vikings after going undrafted in 2023 and immediately surprised everyone in the organization. It wasn’t long before Pace was starting for defensive coordinator Brian Flores and making impacts all over the field. It seemed the Vikings had found a star.

Right after scoring the first points of the game, @Vikings intercept the ball with less than 2 min to go 😱

📺: #MINvsLV on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/pWMED8S30C pic.twitter.com/80s9F0Mctj
— NFL (@NFL) December 11, 2023

Fast forward to 2025: injury troubles and declining play led to Pace’s benching midway through the year. Still, the team brought him back on a one-year RFA in the spring, proving they had not fully given up on the 25-year-old. The odds seemed stacked against him making the final roster, but he would get a fair chance to fight.

The signing of Jamal Adams as a linebacker to start camp created another hill for Pace to overcome, but a strong showing to start camp helped the case for Mr. Pace. Adams was also moved to a hybrid safety-linebacker role last week, leaving more room for Pace and other LBs in the room to shine.

If Pace can generate pressure and fly around this weekend like he did to start camp, he’ll be well on his way to beating the odds once again.

1. Tai Felton, WR

I’ll admit it, I’ve been all in on the Tai Felton hype, and for good reason.

There was debate about Felton’s fit with the Vikings when the team drafted him late in the third round of the 2025 draft, and his rookie season certainly did not help the discourse. The team basically spent the 102nd pick on a special teams gunner. Yikes. Certainly not what the then-general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah had in mind.

Felton’s performance in last year’s camp gave him an uphill battle from the very start. While he hinted at explosive potential with the ball in his hands, actually getting it to him was a struggle. His route running, separation, and pass catching were shaky to say the least. One year later, he looks like a new man.

One-handed work 😤@Taifelton pic.twitter.com/xtEL8YbK9o
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 3, 2026

Felton has been the star of camp for the Vikings' offense, making impressive plays on what seems to be a daily basis. While it's easy to get caught up in “Felton Mania,” his ability to keep it up against a real opponent this weekend would go a long way to prove his potential for the offense in 2026.

While the top-three receiver spots are set in stone, Felton has the chance to force head coach Kevin O’Connell to get him on the field in 2026, even as WR4.

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