The Minnesota Vikings hoped quarterback J.J. McCarthy could put together some good tape if they wanted to trade him. That didn't go exactly as planned.
McCarthy started at quarterback for the Vikings in their Week 2 preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens. He would play the first quarter, and the results were...mixed at best.
His best play of the game came with a 50-yard completion to Tai Felton. Later on a fourth and goal, McCarthy would throw the ball too hard for Myles Price to catch the ball when he was wide open.
McCarthy finished 5-of-10 for 81 yards and was sacked once in the 13-3 loss to the Ravens, which would, of course, lead to some big questions for Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell.
Kevin O'Connell faces the music regarding J.J. McCarthy in Minnesota Vikings preseason loss to Baltimore Ravens
After the game, O'Connell was asked for his overall assessment of McCarthy's performance. O'Connell found some positives in his game, but his first reaction to the question was very telling.
"Yeah, I thought he, you know, like I said, I mean, if he, if we can put that ball in the end zone there on one of those two kind of final plays there.
Once we hit the big play to Ty, I thought that was a really nice job climbing and, and giving Ty a chance. Thought it was a really nice job by Ty climbing that half-field safety and going up, going up and getting the football.
And then, early on in the game like that, the difference [is huge] between the momentum of putting the ball in there [and not].
We've got a lot of confidence in our defense to go for a fourth down right there, knowing that we're going to keep them backed up and maybe keep the field position on our side and keep the pressure on in more ways than one.
But you'd love to capitalize on an explosive. The percentages say you get an explosive like that, your chances of scoring go way up. And if we could have finished that one, maybe the day looks different, maybe it doesn't."
It didn't help that for the second straight week, Vikings third-string quarterback Carson Wentz ran the offense better, going 9-of-11 for 92 yards. Wentz has led at least one scoring drive in each preseason game, while McCarthy has yet to lead a scoring drive.
This wasn't the kind of performance O'Connell hoped for, as his new backup quarterback, Kyler Murray, is struggling. In McCarthy's defense, the Vikings' offensive line really struggled against the Ravens, allowing five sacks in the game.
The questions about McCarthy are not going to go away with the third-year signal-caller struggling. In two preseason games, he has completed 52.9 percent of his passes for 115 yards.
It may no longer be a surprise if the Vikings decide to give Wentz a look as the QB2. McCarthy is playing like a guy who doesn't have the confidence to be a solid backup in the NFL.
Initially, there was hope that once Murray was named the starter, McCarthy would be a trade candidate. McCarthy's value is dropping by the day.
This week in training camp may be the most telling sign of how the Vikings feel about McCarthy. Any change in his status could show where he stands in the organization in the future.
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