Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell confirmed Wednesday that rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy will begin the 2026 regular season as the team’s third-string quarterback behind starter Kyler Murray and backup Carson Wentz. The decision, while notable for the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, was not unexpected following a turbulent training camp and preseason for the former Michigan star.
Murray Wins Starting Job, Wentz Secures Backup Role
The Vikings signed Murray to a one-year free agent contract in March after McCarthy struggled during his first full season as the presumed starter in 2025. McCarthy ranked 36th out of 40 qualified quarterbacks in Total QBR last year, prompting the front office to bring in veteran competition. O’Connell named Murray the Week 1 starter on Aug. 11, stating at the time that McCarthy held the No. 2 spot on the depth chart.
However, McCarthy’s preseason performance accelerated the shift. He completed just 9 of 17 passes across two appearances and missed multiple open receivers in the end zone during an Aug. 22 game against the Baltimore Ravens. He left that contest early with an ankle injury, and a source indicated he told staff members he did not feel comfortable playing in the final preseason game at Denver on Aug. 28.
By that point, Wentz — who started five games for Minnesota in 2025 while McCarthy recovered from a high ankle sprain — had clearly moved ahead on the depth chart. The Vikings initially kept fourth quarterback Max Brosmer on the 53-man roster before moving him to the practice squad, fueling speculation that McCarthy could be cut entirely. General manager Nolan Teasley said last week he expected McCarthy to remain with the team when the season opened.
O’Connell Explains Decision, Emphasizes Long-Term View
Addressing the depth chart decision, O’Connell highlighted Wentz’s experience as a critical factor for the backup role behind a new starter.
“Carson has got almost a hundred career starts,” O’Connell said. “What he was able to do last year from a standpoint of very limited repetition, but being able to apply a career’s worth of experience, that’s kind of what you need to do as a backup quarterback, especially early on when so much of the emphasis is going to be on getting Kyler as comfortable as we can possibly get.”
The coach also stressed that the Week 1 depth chart does not define McCarthy’s future with the organization. O’Connell said he has had multiple positive conversations with the second-year quarterback.
“There’s always a big picture,” O’Connell said, “that’s probably a larger scale and a larger mentality than the Week 1 depth chart. But at the same time, I thought he’s been incredibly professional, the conversations that him and I have had both pre, during and post that. He’s excited to continue to grow and get better. He’s still a young quarterback in the NFL with 10 starts and a bunch of talent and a bunch of things that make him a guy that we want to pour into every single day. And the best part is he’s going to work as hard as anybody, and that’s where it’s at.”
McCarthy’s Path Forward
McCarthy missed his entire rookie season in 2024 due to a torn meniscus in his right knee. The Vikings moved on from starter Sam Darnold after that season and were unable to re-sign veteran Daniel Jones, leaving McCarthy as the default starter entering 2025. His struggles opened the door for Murray’s arrival and, ultimately, a demotion to the third spot on the depth chart to begin 2026.
O’Connell said the quarterback depth chart will be revisited weekly. The Vikings open the season Sunday against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
