Despite injuring his ankle in last week's exhibition game against the Baltimore Ravens, the Minnesota Vikings are still hoping that J.J. McCarthy can start for them in the team's preseason finale against the Denver Broncos on Friday.
But why?
If McCarthy throws a touchdown or two against a bunch of Broncos backup defenders, is that really going to change what the Vikings already have in mind for the young quarterback when they submit their final 2026 roster to the league on Sunday?
It shouldn't, and it likely won't.
Deciding whether to keep or move on from McCarthy is the biggest decision so far in the young tenure of new Minnesota general manager Nolan Teasley, and heading into Friday's final preseason matchup, he probably has a good idea about what he wants to do.
What is the benefit of holding onto J.J. McCarthy this season for the Minnesota Vikings?
Since we know Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell will stomp around like a toddler if someone suggests he make adjustments to his offense to better fit McCarthy's skill set, what is the point of even keeping him on the roster this season?
What McCarthy can currently do is not what O'Connell wants from a starting quarterback, and most of his biggest weaknesses are things that haven't improved since he first stepped on the practice field for Minnesota's rookie mini-camp in 2024.
McCarthy can still be a good quarterback in the NFL, but the chances are just very unlikely that it will happen with the Vikings while O'Connell is the team's head coach.
Does Nolan Teasley have the cajones to do the unthinkable?
Considering the fact that Minnesota spent almost the entire offseason trying to convince everyone that they were holding a legitimate QB1 competition between McCarthy and Kyler Murray this year, how crazy would it be if the Vikings cut McCarthy on Sunday?
At this point, though, why shouldn't they?
He's made zero progress in his development since joining Minnesota, and yes, injuries have played a factor in that, but that's a problem as well. The Vikings can't ever get him to build on any consistent habits because he's always hurt, and when he's on the field, he can't even complete a simple pass to Justin Jefferson.
Minnesota's ownership also doesn't have the patience that's sometimes needed to properly develop a young quarterback in the NFL, and they never will.
So, again, what would be the point of Minnesota keeping McCarthy on their final 2026 roster? So he can possibly get in a game this season and then get hurt again because he continues to hold onto the ball too long in the pocket?
The same problems are going to exist with McCarthy, and they're not going to be fixed until he ends up with a team that actually wants to devote time to his development.
If Teasley's plan is to ultimately have the Vikings move on from McCarthy this weekend, then they have to figure out if they want to be nice and release him so he can pick where he wants to play next, or waive him and subject him to potentially being claimed by one of the worst teams in the NFL.
Minnesota might try to trade McCarthy as well, but at this point, energy would be better spent elsewhere than on working out a deal with another team that will likely land the Vikings a late Day 3 draft pick in 2035 or something similar.
Is the J.J. McCarthy era in Minnesota over?
Not yet, but it certainly feels like the Vikings are on the edge of closing his chapter with the team.
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