Vikings Are Nearing Point of No Return With J.J. McCarthy After QB3 News

All experiments eventually end, for better or worse.

It's hard to imagine J.J. McCarthy lasting much longer in Purple and Gold at the rate things are going. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When the Vikings drafted J.J. McCarthy with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, fans hoped the team finally found the right young quarterback to lead the franchise for many years to come.

After two seasons, McCarthy now heads into Week 1 as the third quarterback on the Vikings' depth chart and has struggled not only to stay healthy but also to look impressive when on the field. After being the starter last season, he has fallen to the point where he could be an inactive player on any given game day.

The question is how patient Minnesota will be with their young quarterback. McCarthy is only 23 years old and led the National Championship team at Michigan in a way that impressed enough to warrant a first-round pick, but eventually, the Vikings have to wonder whether that is a sunk-cost fallacy.

Vikings could be close to throwing in the towel on J.J. McCarthy

So far, McCarthy has failed nearly every test the Vikings have presented him with. Since he had to sit out his rookie year with a knee injury, Minnesota named him the starting quarterback in 2025 to see what they had in the young passer.

However, McCarthy missed seven games during the season. He has played in ten games so far but has missed 24 games in his career, which is devastating in a league where availability is the best ability a player can have.

J.J. McCarthy's availability (or lack thereof) is a major reason why he might not have much runway remaining with the Vikings. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In the 10 games McCarthy suited up for, he completed only 57.6% of his passes and threw 11 touchdowns to 12 interceptions. That is far from what fans of the Purple and Gold hoped to see when the team drafted him.

So, entering the 2026 NFL season, the Vikings put McCarthy in competition with Kyler Murray to be named the starter. At no time during that "competition" did it ever feel like McCarthy was a threat to Murray, and the former Cardinals passer was named Minnesota's starting quarterback,

The team still wanted to try to get the best out of McCarthy and help him develop. This time, it was a competition with fellow backup Carson Wentz for the QB2 position. McCarthy was named the backup to Murray, but head coach Kevin O'Connell left the door open for Wentz to surpass him.

On Wednesday, the Vikings announced that Wentz will be Murray's backup quarterback in Week 1, pushing McCarthy to No. 3 on the depth chart. That means Minnesota might make him inactive on game day.

The clock is ticking

It would take significant improvement as a passer for McCarthy to win his way back into the team's good graces. And even if he does, the confidence that he brings to the field must have taken a huge hit while struggling in the NFL.

To make matters worse for McCarthy, the general manager who drafted him is no longer with the team. It was former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah who traded up to No. 10 to draft him, but he was relieved of his duties following the 2026 season.

Unless something significant changes soon, it feels like the writing is on the wall for McCarthy, and the clock is ticking on his time with the Vikings. At some point, the breaking point will be reached, and it won't make sense for Minnesota to keep him on the roster.

Get Vikings On SI straight to your inbox: sign up for our free newsletter here.