Worth remembering, as Justin Jefferson barely projects for double-digit ownership today, that he and Kevin O'Connell have cooked with everyone except J.J. McCarthy - including far, far worse QBs that Kyler Murray.

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PositiveRoleSep 13, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

McCarthy outplayed Clayton Tune in the Packers' final 2025 regular season game against Minnesota at U.S. Bank Stadium, indicating he is the Vikings' starting quarterback heading into the 2026 season.

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NegativeRoleSep 13, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

McCarthy started 10 games for the Vikings before being replaced in the 2025 QB rotation; he remains on the roster alongside Carson Wentz, suggesting the Vikings may not start a tenth different quarterback in 2026.

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NegativeDepth ChartSep 12, 2026Daily Norseman

McCarthy has been demoted to scout team with Carson Wentz named as the backup quarterback. The source suggests this may signal the end of McCarthy's tenure with the Vikings, with Darren believing this could be his last season in purple, representing a significant role/depth chart decline.

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NegativeDepth ChartSep 12, 2026Hogs Haven

McCarthy begins the 2025 season as a third-stringer for the Vikings, indicating limited playing time and fantasy relevance despite being part of the highly-touted 2024 QB class.

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NegativeProjectionSep 11, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Declan Doyle says McCarthy probably shouldn't be ranked 50th but will let him cling to the spot until someone surpasses him when the rankings are updated in a month.

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NegativeValueSep 11, 2026Windy City Gridiron

Ranked #50 overall; Declan Doyle expresses skepticism about the ranking placement, suggesting McCarthy probably shouldn't be ranked this high but will retain the spot provisionally until someone surpasses him in the next update.

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NegativeProjectionSep 11, 2026Fantasy Football Advice

The source uses J.J. McCarthy as a benchmark for quarterback limitations, implying that he lacked the capability to elevate the offense in the way expected of a high-end starter.

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NegativeProjectionSep 11, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Joey Feazel noted that the J.J. McCarthy experiment did not go to plan last year for the Packers, contributing to the market's shift away from Green Bay and toward the Vikings in Week 1, with the line moving from Packers -2.5 to Vikings -1.5.

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NegativeRoleSep 11, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

McCarthy is now the Vikings' third-string quarterback after starting four of five games during Minnesota's late-season five-game winning streak that closed the 2024 season. He will not be the starter in Week 1 against Green Bay, with Kyler Murray taking over the position.

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NegativeProjectionSep 10, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

Kyler Murray came into the 2025 season too optimistic about McCarthy, predicted a 12-5 season, and now expresses hesitancy heading into 2026 due to that prior overestimation of the young QB.

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NegativeProjectionSep 10, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

McCarthy was deemed useless under center for the Vikings in 2025, contributing to a disastrous offensive season; his poor performance prompted Minnesota to upgrade at the position with Kyler Murray.

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NegativeProjectionSep 10, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

McCarthy's completion percentage ranked 33rd in the league in 2025, behind only Caleb Williams' 58.1%, indicating below-average accuracy for the Minnesota Vikings quarterback.

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NegativeDepth ChartSep 10, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

McCarthy has fallen from the Vikings' franchise quarterback of the future to third-string on the depth chart, behind Carson Wentz for the regular-season opener against the Packers. Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell insisted the team will continue to work on developing McCarthy, but the immediate depth chart decision signals a setback in his development trajectory.

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NegativeDepth ChartSep 10, 2026Bleeding Green Nation

McCarthy has fallen from the Vikings' franchise quarterback of the future to third-string on the depth chart. Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell announced that Carson Wentz will be the No. 2 quarterback, with McCarthy relegated to No. 3, suggesting a significant setback in his development trajectory.

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NegativeValueSep 9, 2026SleeperNFL

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2024 NFL Draft Class: Caleb Williams - Cover of Madden Jayden Daniels - NFC Championship Appearance Drake Maye - Super Bowl Appearance Bo Nix - AFC Championship Appearance* Michael Penix Jr - Can’t beat out Tua + injured JJ McCarthy - Third string QB

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NegativeProjectionSep 9, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

McCarthy's 2025 rookie season was marked by injury and poor performance: he sustained a high-ankle sprain in Week 2 that sidelined him for five games, returned in Week 9 but struggled with accuracy, completing just 57.6% of his passes for 163.2 yards per game with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions across 10 starts. He failed to complete more than 56% of his passes in four consecutive games, contributing to the Vikings' 9-8 record and playoff miss. The Vikings subsequently signed Kyler Murray in the offseason, effectively ending McCarthy's tenure as the starter.

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NegativeDepth ChartSep 9, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

McCarthy, the No. 10 overall pick in 2024, has been named the Vikings' No. 3 quarterback behind starter Kyler Murray and backup Carson Wentz for the 2026 season opener against Green Bay. Head coach Kevin O'Connell cited Wentz's 99 career starts and experience as the reason for the decision, describing the backup situation as "week-to-week." McCarthy will continue to get practice reps but has lost his starting job after a disappointing 2025 rookie campaign.

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NegativeDepth ChartSep 9, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

McCarthy, the 2024 third-round draft pick, has been demoted to third-string quarterback for the Vikings' Week 1 matchup against Green Bay, behind starter Kyler Murray and backup Carson Wentz. Coach Kevin O'Connell characterized the arrangement as 'week-to-week' rather than season-long, but McCarthy is now two spots removed from game action. O'Connell noted McCarthy remains 'a beacon of energy' and a 'young player with so much football ahead of him,' suggesting the door remains open for future opportunity if McCarthy demonstrates readiness and can contribute with limited reps.

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NegativeDepth ChartSep 9, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

McCarthy has fallen from franchise quarterback prospect to third-string on the Vikings depth chart behind starter Kyler Murray and backup Carson Wentz heading into the 2026 season opener against the Packers. The source notes McCarthy missed his entire 2024 rookie season with a knee injury and did not perform well when given starting opportunities in 2025, leading the Vikings to move on despite his guaranteed four-year, $21.8 million rookie contract. Head coach Kevin O'Connell stated Wentz's nearly 100 career starts made him the better backup option, though O'Connell insisted McCarthy would continue to receive developmental work. The source suggests it is entirely possible McCarthy has played his last game as a Viking.

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NegativeDepth ChartSep 9, 2026NFL - The Athletic

McCarthy will not back up starter Kyler Murray in Week 1; instead, Carson Wentz holds the QB2 role, raising questions about McCarthy's future with the Vikings franchise.

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PositiveNewsSep 9, 2026SleeperNFL

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Carson Wentz has been named the backup QB for Week 1. JJ McCarthy is QB3.

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PositiveNewsSep 9, 2026Underdog NFL

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O'Connell: Carson Wentz will serve as QB2 in Week 1. JJ McCarthy at QB3.

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NegativeProjectionSep 8, 2026Yahoo Sports NFL

J.J. McCarthy was one of three quarterbacks used by the Vikings in 2025 as they went 9-8; his role in 2026 remains unclear with Kyler Murray's arrival.

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