From national champion to top-10 pick, J.J. McCarthy was supposed to usher in a new era of Minnesota football. Instead, he now finds himself sitting third on the Vikings’ depth chart with his future with the organization up in the air.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell announced Wednesday morning that J.J. McCarthy will move down the depth chart. Veteran Carson Wentz will serve as the primary backup to starter Kyler Murray for this weekend’s matchup against the Green Bay Packers.
Even though Wentz gets the backup nod for Week 1, O’Connell made it clear that the depth chart behind Murray will be evaluated on a “week-to-week” basis.
Selected No. 10 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, McCarthy’s time in Minnesota has been defined by adversity. A torn meniscus during his rookie preseason sidelined him for the entire year before his career could even take off.
Not only did he miss his entire rookie season, but he had to watch Sam Darnold lead the Vikings to a 14-3 record and a playoff berth. When Minnesota decided to let Darnold walk in free agency to join the Seattle Seahawks, the franchise was officially handed over to McCarthy.
McCarthy’s first year as the starter didn’t go as planned for him or the Vikings, compounded by the fact that Darnold went on to win the Super Bowl in his very first season with the Seahawks.
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Injuries and on-field struggles limited McCarthy to just 10 starts last season. Even though he posted a 6-4 winning record, his stats reflected the growing pains after he completed 57.6% of his passes for 1,632 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.Â
McCarthy’s career is far from over, but with his inconsistent play and the addition of Murray in the quarterback room this offseason, his future in Minnesota is truly up in the air.
