Despite signing Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz, reports indicate the Vikings still believe J.J. McCarthy has a future in Minnesota.
Over the past two weeks, the Minnesota Vikings have signed Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz. That has led to speculation that J.J. McCarthy's time in Minnesota may be coming to an end, but two members of the NFL media believe this isn't the case.
On Monday, Alec Lewis of The Athletic wrote about the quarterback moves. He said that the team's mistakes in the early stages of free agency in 2025 led to their season-long headaches once the regular season began.
The mistakes of 2025 are why the team brought in Murray and Wentz. Last year, the team chose not to sign former starter Sam Darnold to a massive extension. The Vikings then miscalculated Daniel Jones’ willingness to sign elsewhere for a more ready-made opportunity to be the starter. Those departures left Minnesota in damage control mode. The team settled for Sam Howell, whom they later traded to clear the way for Wentz, who became the only Vikings quarterback with starting experience.
This spring, the Vikings were determined to prevent a repeat — at all costs. This is why they were linked to as many quarterbacks as they were before free agency, and why they brought in Wentz after already signing Murray. Wentz’s addition is not a referendum on 23-year-old J.J. McCarthy’s future, according to team sources, but it is an exclamation point on the team’s plan.
Not again, this season, will the Vikings go into training camp with question marks not only at the starting quarterback spot but also behind the starter.
But that also doesn't mean the team is ready to give up on McCarthy. According to Lewis, Wentz signed with the team because of his faith in the coaching staff, not because he foresaw McCarthy's exit.
It was not because he got any impression that the Vikings would be moving on from McCarthy, one league source said. Instead, Wentz came back because of his faith in O’Connell, quarterbacks coach Josh McCown and the team’s core players.
Adam Schefter joined The Pat McAfee Show on Monday, and he, too, believes that Wentz's addition provides the Vikings' quarterback room with depth, not a replacement for McCarthy.
"I view it like they've got guys here," Schefter said. "J.J. has struggled to stay healthy. Kyler hasn't played there yet. They [have] to see how that goes. And Wentz is somebody [who] knows the offense [and] is comfortable there. They're comfortable with [that]. You can never have enough quarterbacks."
The signings of Murray and Wentz may not signal the end for McCarthy, but they do suggest that his time in Minnesota may be running short.
Ideally, the Vikings hope McCarthy embraces the challenge and competes for the starting job and, at worst, is ready to play if injuries force him into a game. Lewis reported that McCarthy has been working out with private quarterbacks coach John Beck this offseason.
Beck is a former NFL quarterback who also worked with McCarthy ahead of the 2024 draft. Lewis reported that Beck is helping work on "mechanical inconsistencies and applying more touch", two of the main talking points regarding McCarthy's on-field struggles in 2025.
If McCarthy continues to struggle throughout minicamps and OTAs this spring, though, could he be on the move? Sure, the Vikings may want the 10th overall pick of the 2024 draft to work out, but if he isn't showing the requisite development, what will they do?
Right now, it appears that McCarthy is taking the correct steps to improve on a disappointing 2025 season. The Vikings are at least displaying belief that McCarthy can eventually become more consistent and still have a future with the team.
However, they don't want to repeat last season's disaster at quarterback, and Murray and Wentz should help prevent another situation where an undrafted free agent ends up under center. If the two veterans can bring a stabilizing presence at quarterback, the Vikings could return to the playoffs.