What should Vikings do with J.J. McCarthy? Divorce seems inevitable after losing starting job to Kyler Murray — CBS Sports

RESOLVING THE LEDGER

The clock has struck midnight for J.J. McCarthy in Minnesota. No, it's not merely in regard to his failed attempt to fend off Kyler Murray for the starting job. In a broader sense, the best path forward for both parties in the wake of not naming him the starter appears to be going their separate ways before the 2026 regular-season campaign begins. And Minnesota may already be laying the groundwork to walk down that road with their 2024 first-round pick.

Head coach Kevin O'Connell named Murray the team's starter on Aug. 11. Since then, McCarthy's stock has only continued to sink. Now, a player who entered camp duking it out for the top job saw himself splitting second-team reps with veteran Carson Wentz just two weeks removed from the Murray announcement.

While it's somewhat jarring to see such a fall from grace, it's not surprising if you've been paying attention to Minnesota -- more specifically McCarthy -- this summer. There doesn't appear to be a lot of improvement in his game, which continues to run hot and cold. Week 2 of the preseason exemplified that to a T.

In one moment, he's evading pressure and completing a 50-yard pass to Tai Felton down the right sideline. Then, four plays later, he overthrew Myles Price for what would've been a wide-open touchdown on a fourth-and-goal attempt.

JJ McCarthy misses Myles Price WIDE OPEN in the end zone. pic.twitter.com/Ix8VJrEPTe

It's those continued misses on what should be layup throws that are opening the door for Wentz to potentially leapfrog him on the quarterback depth chart as the primary backup to Murray. In the brief windows that we've seen both quarterbacks, Wentz has proven to be the better option.

Here's a look at how both quarterbacks stack up through two weeks of the preseason:

While that's a snapshot of this summer, Wentz was also the better quarterback on Minnesota's roster last year. In all, he started five games for the Vikings , while McCarthy was sidelined with a high ankle sprain. Over his first three starts, he completed 69% of his throws, while averaging 253 passing yards per game, and totaled five passing touchdowns with just two interceptions. Wentz suffered a shoulder injury in a Week 5 matchup against the Cleveland Browns , but gutted it out to start two more games before landing on injured reserve.

Naturally, those numbers dipped in those remaining two games, but Wentz did give the Vikings' passing offense a jolt when he was healthy last year, something that doesn't ring true when McCarthy's been under center.

Of course, given the fact that McCarthy was the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and Wentz is entering his age-33 season, Minnesota would want to give the younger player every opportunity to take the lion's share of reps. However, McCarthy's leash is getting shorter by the day. It's already run out on his chances to be QB1, and that soon may also be the case for QB2 duties.

While Murray's talent gives the Vikings the highest ceiling in Minnesota's quarterback room for 2026, his arrival raises an elephant in the room -- durability.

Murray is far from an Ironman, and it goes beyond him missing five games last season due to a foot injury. Over the last five seasons, Murray has missed 30 of a possible 68 games (44%).

While the Vikings hope that Murray will be able to suit up for a full 17-game regular season, history suggests they'll be relying on their quarterback depth at some point. If/when they have to do that, it's hard not to have more faith in Wentz over McCarthy at this juncture. As we examine who should be the primary backup, that belief really says it all, right?

This is where the possibility of a divorce between McCarthy and the Vikings really starts to crystallize. If Wentz does leap over McCarthy on the depth chart, and the former first-rounder is relegated to third string, how does he handle that? Does that have a negative impact on the quarterback room and locker room as a whole?

I think back to when a clip of both Murray and McCarthy went viral this summer when the two were asked about one another as they began their battle for the starting job. Murray was pretty diplomatic in his answers regarding the situation, while McCarthy had this to say: "It's just like two guys in a classroom. You know, he sits on one side, I sit on the other side, and it's the coach's responsibility to teach us and coach us."

Kyler Murray describes his relationship with J.J. McCarthy as him being a mentor to him and teaching him. McCarthy compared their relationship to being two guys in high school both learning together. pic.twitter.com/rZhcvVy4Ow

Does that iciness fester as McCarthy falls further into the shadows? There's a chance this could become an untenable situation. If that possibility looms, it may behoove Minnesota to move on from McCarthy, even if it means eating some salary.

If the Vikings did decide to move McCarthy, these could be some interesting landing spots for the 23-year-old, whether that be via trade or signing as a free agent if waived.

Miami paid Malik Willis to be its starter for 2026, and if that fails, the Dolphins will be selecting their starter for 2027 in what is described as a loaded draft class next spring. That said, it doesn't hurt to take a flyer on signal-callers like McCarthy. While he has not looked like a franchise centerpiece whatsoever in Minnesota, we have seen reclamation projects all over the league. Maybe a change of scenery is what McCarthy needs, and he can be the latest veteran to resurrect his career in a new city. You also can't discount the Stephen Ross element as well, as the Dolphins owner is a major donor to McCarthy's alma mater, Michigan.

If we're making Michigan connections, we can't talk too long without mentioning the Chargers . Jim Harbaugh coached McCarthy at Michigan, and the two won a national championship together in 2023. When McCarthy was coming out of college, Harbaugh said, "he's the best quarterback in this draft."

As a remind...

What should Vikings do with J.J. McCarthy? Divorce seems inevitable after losing starting job to Kyler Murray — CBS Sports | AIPROPX