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McCarthy’s Future with Vikings in Doubt; Backup QB Change Imminent We were all waiting for a sign from Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell on Wednesday, when he spoke with reporters before practice. Just one or two little nuggets to lend some insight into whether or not he plans to stick with JJ McCarthy as the team’s backup quarterback, or change his tune, and crown Carson Wentz as QB2 instead. Unsurprisingly, O’Connell didn’t announce any official changes to the Vikings’ QB depth chart. However, he did make it clear that he wants all three of Wentz, McCarthy and Max Brosmer to get reps Friday night, in the preseason finale against Denver. Kevin O’Connell hinting at a new backup QB plan? That was a bit surprising, especially when he revealed at the same time, that McCarthy sat out of practice on Wednesday nursing an ankle injury he suffered last week, against the Baltimore Ravens. In fact, O’Connell went as far as to say that he’d prefer JJ McCarthy start again this week, if able. It’ll be a rest day for J.J. McCarthy today, Kevin O’Connell said. The #Vikings split the reps with McCarthy and Carson Wentz to take it easy on McCarthy’s ankle, O’Connell said. They’ve wanted him to start the final preseason game; they’ll work through the week and see if that’s… — Ben Goessling (@BenGoessling) August 26, 2026 KOC’s not-so-subtle public challenge, aimed toward his kid QB, caught the attention of reporters in attendance at yesterday’s press conference. Remember, the head coach did something similar after the Ravens loss, when he told reporters that JJ was supposed to return for one more drive, until he got “banged up”. And given how cautious O’Connell normally is during the preseason, this entire situation feels odd. I mean, why is JJ McCarthy playing on Friday at all? Especially considering he sat out practice Wednesday, just 48 hours prior to scheduled kickoff… Related: Florio Suggests Vikings Could Do the Impossible, Cut JJ McCarthy That’s an extremely worthwhile question that local media members are wrestling with, as well. In a world where JJ McCarthy is already locked in as Minnesota’s QB2, there is no way he’s playing on Friday, no matter how many reps he may need for development purposes. The reality is that JJ’s job as QB2 is in grave jeopardy. In fact, Alec Lewis (The Athletic) revealed his backup QB expectations on the latest episode of the “Vikings Collective,” which was recorded Wednesday, and the outlook wasn’t good for the 2023 National Champion. Carson Wentz “Definitely” the Minnesota Vikings’ QB2 In short, Lewis told his cohosts Matthew Coller (Purple Insider) and Football Analysis’ Garret Greenlee, that he’s operating under the assumption that Carson Wentz is “definitely going to be the backup for the Minnesota Vikings.” By default, that means McCarthy is ‘definitely QB3’, and probably not active on game days — outside of emergency responsibilities if both Murray and Wentz go down with injuries. Is the kid QB going to be okay with that? Lewis has serious doubts. “My expectation right now, and this is just based on conversations, but also what I’ve seen, is that Carson Wentz is definitely going to be the backup for the Minnesota Vikings. And so, that would then lead you down the road of JJ McCarthy as the number three quarterback. How okay is he going to be with that? I think that’s a very valid question. If he’s not okay with that, does that end up leading to a conversation about, you know, is this the end of the road?” Alec Lewis – Vikings Collective Let’s not forget that Mike Florio (ProFootballTalk) floated Tuesday that it’s possible the Minnesota Vikings may be forced just to cut JJ McCarthy, outright, if they cannot find a trade partner for him before cutdown day. Wednesday morning, that seemed impossible, but after watching the entire episode from the clip above, it feels more real than most Vikings fans might be willing to admit. If Kevin O’Connell is indeed tired of the circus that follows his kid QB, could it really be time to move on? Could McCarthy make that an easy decision for the Vikings, and request a trade as soon as he is demoted to QB3, a move that’s seemingly imminent. Every day that goes by, we get close to getting these questions answered (finally). More About:Minnesota Vikings