Before Tuesday, the last time J.J. McCarthy began a Vikings practice knowing he wasn’t the team’s starting quarterback was Aug. 8, 2024.
That was two days before the No. 10 overall pick in that year’s NFL draft made his scintillating preseason debut at U.S. Bank Stadium.
McCarthy’s play behind Sam Darnold that training camp had the Vikings optimistic about the then-21-year-old’s future. When he completed 11 of his 17 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns in his first preseason game, he looked poised to push Darnold for more first-team reps.
A torn meniscus, a 10-game season as the Vikings’ starting quarterback in 2025 and one training camp competition later, McCarthy is out as the team’s No. 1 QB. He’ll begin the 2026 season as Kyler Murray’s backup after head coach Kevin O’Connell named Murray the starter on Tuesday.
Still just 23, McCarthy is under team control through the 2028 season and has made only 10 NFL starts. On Wednesday, the highest-drafted QB in Vikings history reiterated he wants to stay in Minnesota.
“This is the place I want to be,” he said. “I love every single person in this building. I love this state.”
But two Augusts after O’Connell said he believed McCarthy was the team’s next franchise QB, and one year after he progressed through camp as the unquestioned starter, it’s possible that McCarthy is no longer the centerpiece of the team’s future plans.
McCarthy, who said he believes he’s still a starting-caliber NFL QB, is now entering a new phase of his career. He’ll focus on his development while making sure he’s ready behind Murray.
“A decision was made that was out of my control,” McCarthy said. “Obviously, every competitor wants to play. But moving forward, it’s just about continuing to work hard and being ready for when my number’s called.”
When asked Wednesday if he believed he had a fair shot to win the job, McCarthy said he wasn’t worried about that during the competition.
“I was just thinking about that next opportunity to continue to develop and grow,” he said. “I couldn’t control anything during [the competition]. I couldn’t control anything after.“
When asked what he felt like he needed to do to win the job, McCarthy said, “That’s a question for Kevin and the staff. I feel like me just continuing to develop and improve in many different aspects is the only thing I’m worried about.”
Murray got more first-team snaps than McCarthy during the 10 practices the Vikings held their quarterback competition. But the team viewed the snaps both got leading the No. 2 offense against the first-team defense as equally valuable.
“I want to see guys who are strong in that moment, and the quarterback position is about walking in there and presenting yourself in a way, from the huddle call to the ownership of the cadence, the motion timings. You make it really easy to coach the other guys when you’re sharp and you’ve got that command,” O’Connell said. “So I think it’s ultimately as valuable, if not more [than first-team snaps].“
But even with ample opportunities to make his bid for the job, McCarthy was operating in a different environment than he did last summer when he coasted to the starting role.
To win his job back, he needed to present himself as a passer who could throw to all parts of the field with touch and accuracy, hit his checkdowns when necessary and build cohesion with the Vikings’ offensive staff.
Anything short of that, and the job was likely to go to Murray, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft.
Murray’s touch and mobility led the Vikings to view him as an appealing counterpart to Justin Jefferson. Officials throughout the organization glowed with gratitude about how Jefferson handled a frustrating 2025 season. They also acknowledged the star wide receiver, still searching for his first playoff win entering his seventh NFL season, couldn’t be expected to remain patient forever.
Jefferson, who caught 318 of his first 324 passes from Kirk Cousins his first three NFL seasons, has caught passes from seven different quarterbacks since Cousins tore his Achilles tendon in 2023: They are Jaren Hall, Joshua Dobbs, Nick Mullens, Sam Darnold, McCarthy, Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer.
Murray figures to become the eighth on Sept. 13, when the Vikings start the season with a nationally televised matchup against the Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium. It might take something out of McCarthy’s control to put him back in a position to throw to Jefferson in a game again.
When asked what he’ll work on next, McCarthy said, “Just obviously intricate parts of my craft and intricate parts of the offense: Playing in rhythm, playing on time and all the things that come with repeatedly doing the right things over and over. That’s all I’m focused on.”