J.J. McCarthy Could Still Start After Losing Vikings' QB Battle (and Here's When)

All hope isn't lost just yet.

J.J. McCarthy still has a path to starting for the Vikings this season (even if Kyler Murray just took some wind out of his sails). | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Vikings are still a few weeks away from finalizing their 53-man roster, meaning there's plenty of time for the ongoing position battles to develop. That said, the team's competition under center is officially over. Head coach Kevin O'Connell named Kyler Murray as the Vikings' QB1 on Tuesday, leaving no doubt who'll lead the offense into Week 1 of the regular season and beyond.

Although he had his fair share of believers, it's fair to say that the writing was on the wall for J.J. McCarthy for a while now. Although not every shortcoming so far is his fault, McCarthy rarely looked like a legitimate QB1 in the 10 starts he saw last season, and a drastically inaccurate start to training camp left O'Connell & Co. with no other option but to roll with Murray as their top arm.

But just because one battle was lost doesn't mean that all hope is gone, as the Vikings' coaching staff still believes in the former Michigan signal-caller's potential.

"(J.J. is) still a guy that's only played 10 games. He's shown improvement off of last year," O'Connell said on Tuesday. "Even in this training camp with the work he's put in and his comfort level, just growing a little bit day in and day out. Very excited to continue to get to work with him every single day, coach him."

#Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell on JJ McCarthy’s future in Minnesota:

“He’s still a guy that’s only played 10 games. He’s shown improvement off of last year… as he knows, he’s holding the pen on his story. We’re going to support him and try to help him continue to improve as a… pic.twitter.com/GdKql9mGsh

— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) August 11, 2026

With his head coach still standing firmly behind him, there's a chance that McCarthy could wind up starting for the Vikings at some point this fall.

Predicting when J.J. McCarthy could start for Vikings in 2026

Murray might be the best pick to lead the Vikings' offense starting in Week 1, but that doesn't mean that he can rest on his laurels. The former Cardinals QB is still playing on a one-year contract, meaning his future is far from secure. He'll need to leave no room for questions as soon as the regular-season action begins.

Otherwise, the door will be open for a change.

The Vikings will open the season with back-to-back NFC North clashes against the Packers and Bears at home and on the road, respectively. It will be important for Murray to prove himself in these matchups, showing that the Vikings can compete with the two teams that finished first and second in last year's divisional race.

After that, he'll head into a Week 3 matchup against the Buccaneers, looking to out-duel Baker Mayfield, who's been floated as a potential QB option for Minnesota in 2027.

Baker Mayfield's looming 2027 free agency makes him a potential QB target for the Vikings down the line, giving J.J. McCarthy every reason to try to outplay him next month. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Games against the lowly Dolphins (Week 4) and Saints (Week 5) should be layups for Murray and company; however, they also have the potential to be trap games. If he struggles against either or both of those foes leading into the Week 6 bye, that could be the perfect excuse for the Vikings to switch things up under center.

McCarthy could return to QB1 duties vs. Colts in Week 7

Bye weeks are the perfect opportunity for coaches to make major lineup adjustments, including a quarterback change. Considering how the Vikings will have 14 days between their road game against the Saints and a home meeting with the Colts, McCarthy is likely looking at Week 7 as his best chance to take the reins back from Murray.

Will J.J. McCarthy be ready to step up if the Vikings come calling his name in Week 7? | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Hosting the Colts will start a tough five-game stretch that also features the Lions, Bills, Packers and 49ers. In other words, the Vikings will want the best man under center for that. If Murray proves that he can't be that guy, there won't be much to lose by throwing McCarthy back into the mix. It might be a one-game experience or last much longer.

Either way, the week leading up to Sunday, Oct. 25 is worth keeping track of.

Assuming that's McCarthy's likeliest date to return to starting duties, the 23-year-old QB has about two months to keep O'Connell and the rest of the Vikings' staff believing in him. Otherwise, regardless of how Murray performs, No. 9's time with the franchise could end sooner rather than later.

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