Pro Football Talk‘s Mike Florio ran with a wild take this week, claiming the Minnesota Vikings could waive quarterback J.J. McCarthy amid roster cuts this weekend. Now, thanks to McCarthy’s head coach, Kevin O’Connell, there’s some clarity to suggest otherwise.
McCarthy is battling a minor injury, and as a whole, O’Connell applauded McCarthy’s strides this summer. He doesn’t sound like a guy who’s about to be released.
Why the J.J. McCarthy Panic Looks Premature
Divided Reps Were about McCarthy’s Ankle
Reports emerged last weekend that McCarthy was “banged up” in the preseason loss to the Baltimore Ravens. That evidently explains some of the divided workload with Carson Wentz this week.
The coaching staff deliberately reduced his workload so he could recover for Friday’s game at Denver. O’Connell said Monday’s reps were not divided in any meaningful way, while Tuesday’s split was largely about keeping McCarthy fresh. That does not erase the QB2 battle, but it weakens the idea that Minnesota suddenly demoted McCarthy because of performance.
McCarthy is basically “taking it easy” this week.
Vikings Want McCarthy to Play Friday
O’Connell said about McCarthy’s role in Friday’s final exhibition game at Denver, “We wanted to try to hopefully get him turned over and feel really great for a Friday night.”
“I still think these reps are important for him to go out there and move the ball and move the team.”
McCarthy did not receive as much work as Minnesota envisioned in the previous contest, so Denver represents another valuable and necessary opportunity. If the Vikings were preparing to trade or waive McCarthy, prioritizing preseason snaps might be an odd move. A trading team would want to get him healthy.
O’Connell has repeatedly emphasized how important game reps are for a young quarterback. He wants to see his 23-year-old on the field this Friday night. Plain and simple.
QB Battle Is Real
Of course, regarding who would take snaps if Kyler Murray got injured now or in the regular season, the QB2 competition is legitimate.
O’Connell said Minnesota aims to find the best path for the team while maximizing preseason reps for McCarthy, Wentz, and Max Brosmer. Wentz’s better-than-McCarthy performances against the Giants and Ravens have made the QB2 spot a genuine competition.
Yet, while competition is expected, the idea that McCarthy is suddenly at risk of being cut is different. O’Connell described it as one of several position battles they’re evaluating before Sunday’s roster cutdown. His comments did not suggest a coach preparing to part ways with McCarthy.
A Good Summer, He Says
Perhaps the most telling piece of evidence from O’Connell was his assessment of McCarthy’s summer: “I still look at these reps for a young player as really important, and he’s had a really good offseason and a good training camp.”
“And I still think these reps are important for him to go out there and move the ball and move the team and put the ball in the end zone, and that’s the goal.”
It’s important to remember that, heading into August, many Vikings fans believed Murray and McCarthy were neck and neck to win the QB1 job. Suggesting McCarthy could be dropped from the roster a few weeks later seems a bit panicky.
O’Connell also stressed that outsiders cannot grade every rep without knowing the play call and intent. That does not mean McCarthy has played well in the preseason; the results remain disappointing. It does mean Minnesota’s internal evaluation appears much less negative than the public one. The Vikings still see development, even if the results haven’t reflected it.
If the Vikings waived McCarthy – – per the fringe Florio theory – – the experiment would be rendered an utter flop and make the decision to let Sam Darnold leave in 2025 free agency even worse – – if that’s possible.
Trading McCarthy may not return much, either. He could fetch a late-round pick, but if he’s not a tyrant in the locker room, it might be best to hang onto the guy and hope his development eventually takes a next step.
After all, he’s 23.
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VikesNow Verdict: McCarthy’s QB2 job is legitimately being challenged, but that is miles removed from being released. O’Connell’s explanation of the split reps and McCarthy’s positive summer evaluation make the release theory look a little strange.
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