Saturday’s Loss Told Vikings All They Need to Know About J.J. McCarthy and the QB2 Spot

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Flashback to April 25, 2024, as Vikings fans flooded into U.S. Bank Stadium for the team’s annual draft party. The franchise had recently let longtime quarterback Kirk Cousins walk to Atlanta in free agency and seemed destined to draft a new QB after acquiring a second first-round pick from Houston a few weeks before.

After four signal-callers were selected in the first nine picks, Minnesota traded up one spot with the Jets to select Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy, making him the highest-drafted QB in team history. Fans in attendance erupted in excitement, hopeful they had their homegrown franchise QB to pair with offensive guru and head coach Kevin O’Connell and an elite set of weapons. It seemed destined to work.

Then 849 days later, McCarthy took the field in that same stadium, fighting for his future with the franchise. The results? Seemingly a breaking point for even some of his most optimistic supporters. After losing the starting job to Kyler Murray, McCarthy now appears too unreliable to even be the team's backup, opening the door for journeyman Carson Wentz to jump up the depth chart.

The McCarthy rollercoaster

McCarthy was simply all over the place on Saturday, missing throws that any level of QB should easily complete. His bright spots came in a truly impressive throw down the right sideline to wide receiver Tai Felton, where he navigated the pocket and stepped up through pressure to let it fly downfield for a 50-yard completion. He also had an impressive throw to wideout Myles Price towards the left sideline while getting hit that Price couldn’t bring in, which ended McCarthy’s day.

.@jjmccarthy09 steps up and slings it to @taifelton.

📺: @Fox9 | @NFL + pic.twitter.com/MHUiiqmX7V
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 22, 2026

But man, those misses. After the great throw to Price, the team failed to score in the red zone as McCarthy missed multiple throws, including an inexcusable overthrow to a wide-open Price. Another bad miss came on a throw to Jeshaun Jones over the middle.

McCarthy can’t connect with Jeshaun Jones. pic.twitter.com/w9bUVjXUsF
— Jason Harmon (@JasonHarmonNFL) August 22, 2026

McCarthy would end the day 5-for-10 for 81 yards, but that stat line provides a generous telling of his performance.

This isn’t just about one game, though, as Saturday may have been the perfect encapsulation of McCarthy’s tenure in Minnesota, as one or two impressive plays sprinkled their way in amongst some absolutely brutal quarterbacking.

Just look at his one year as the team’s starter. The exciting fourth quarter in Chicago, after three rough quarters in his pro debut; a solid performance in Detroit in his return from a high ankle sprain; and showing out in Dallas after already being eliminated from playoff contention seem to be the highlights so far.

Outside of those brief moments, it’s been a lot of missed games and even more missed throws.

McCarthy’s single preseason appearance in 2024 had the fanbase incredibly excited before the team announced a few days later that he would undergo season-ending surgery for a torn meniscus. Since then, he has never recaptured the touch and accuracy he showcased in his one appearance as a rookie, and people are starting to notice.

If Kyler Murray were to miss time due to injury, can the team truly afford to take such a risk with the consistency of their backup QB? Probably not, and that's where ole reliable comes in: Carson Wentz.

The adult in the room

I’m aware that referring to Wentz as a reliable QB seems to be quite the statement, but compared to McCarthy and Max Brosmer, he’s as steady as they come, and the Vikings are likely thankful he returned this past spring. Wentz certainly has his flaws, and his ball placement and accuracy left much to be desired at points on Saturday. But he knows how to operate the offense while, for the most part, avoiding total disaster.

Aug 22, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz (11) warms up before the game against the Baltimore Ravens at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Wentz ended his day 9-for-11 for 92 yards and a 101.5 passer rating, but the value Wentz brings isn’t quantifiable by stats alone. After being at nearly every practice of training camp, the difference in processing speed and confidence between McCarthy and Wentz is vast. The game simply moves at different speeds.

While Wentz will have occasional interceptions or rough moments, his baseline level of performance is much more reliable than McCarthy's, even if he never quite reaches the same rare highs.

Carson Wentz is like the mini-van your wife convinced you to buy: safe, smart, not exciting in anyway, gets the job done.

J.J. McCarthy is the hot-rod your uncle built in his garage: most fun you’ve ever had for the 30 seconds it works before it goes completely out of control…
— Jason Harmon (@JasonHarmonNFL) August 22, 2026

I was very high on McCarthy when he joined the Vikings. But outside of brief glimpses of what could be, I’ve been wrong to this point. It can be hard to admit that, especially when you’re this wrong, but we can only ignore what's in front of us for so long. The same can be said for O’Connell and the Vikings.

I’m torn on where I see things going, especially with McCarthy still only 23 years old and 10 NFL starts under his belt. But the reality is, this is becoming unsalvageable.

If the Vikings aren’t comfortable with McCarthy at QB2, would the likely day-3 trade value be worth shipping him off? Or would the team stash him as QB3 with hopes he can develop behind the scenes? The reality is, no answer is ideal, and the team will likely deal with the repercussions of this apparently failed marriage for years.

In the meantime, the franchise must do what's best for providing stability in 2026, and right now, that means naming Wentz as Murray’s backup.

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