The J.J. McCarthy Experiment Just Might Be Over For The Vikings

Saturday afternoon was the first look at the Minnesota Vikings offense with Kyler Murray as the starting quarterback. After one series, Murray sat down and gave way to J.J. McCarthy and unfortunately, much of the same issues with the former Michigan quarterback were still on display. Over throws, under throws, dropped passes and mistimed passing attempts littered the tape. It felt like the majority of his 2025 NFL flim. McCarthy will have the next two preseason games to show improvement, which could lead to a potential scenery change via trade. The Vikings offense is building its rapport with Murray named as the starter and given the reports following the announcement, the former Cardinals quarterback looks far more comfortable.  Yahoo Sports NFL analyst Hayden Winks shared a blunt opinion about McCarthy's development and what is so telling about who is getting reps ahead of him. "Vikings giving Carson Wentz twice as many snaps as JJ McCarthy is an odd choice if they are actually trying to develop him. Occam's razor: They are done." The interesting part is would the Vikings place Wentz as the backup with McCarthy as the emergency third QB and inactive on game days? Realistically, the writing was on the wall when the team brought Wentz back. It was a clear signal, the team wants the veteran to be the backup and the loser of the competition would end up as the team's third QB. Perhaps, the next two preseason games is an audition for McCarthy to find a new home. Max Brosmer is still on the roster and could be the third, emergency QB, if McCarthy is moved. Publicly, McCarthy voiced his love for Minnesota and said "it is the place he wants to be." The rep distribution is a clear indication of preparing Wentz to backup Murray. McCarthy is going to have to bide his time and prepare as best he can to maintain professionalism and hope a change of scenery comes about.  The good news is, the Vikings will likely have teams calling about McCarthy. If he isn't moved before the Week 1 opener on September 13th against the Green Bay Packers, he will likely be forced to be inactive.  The story develops further even after an announcement of the starter.