J.J. McCarthy, clearly disappointed by the Minnesota Vikings’ decision to relegate him to No. 2 quarterback, vowed to do what he can to help the team win from his backup role.
“Obviously, every competitor wants to play,” he told reporters Wednesday. “But moving forward, it’s just about continuing to work hard and just staying ready for when my number’s called.”
Head coach Kevin O’Connell on Tuesday named Kyler Murray, the No. 1 pick of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals and in his first year in Minnesota, as the starter.
McCarthy, 23, said he took care of things in his “control” during training camp but that the competition between him and Murray, 29, was “out of my control.”
“There’s so many things out of my control, like the heat today,” he said. “And it’s just really having the discernment to figure out which of the two (quarterbacks), and that was one of the things outside of my control. And me attacking and optimizing every opportunity, which was in my control, and that’s all I was focusing on.”
The Vikings selected McCarthy, who had just won the College Football Playoff title at Michigan — with the No. 10 pick in the 2024 draft to be their franchise quarterback. But things haven’t gone as planned.
He missed the 2024 season with a torn meniscus. Sam Darnold led the Vikings to the playoffs, then signed as a free agent with the Seattle Seahawks and won the Super Bowl.
McCarthy made 10 starts in an injury-marred 2025 season, completing 57.6% of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 picks. He also ran for 181 yards and four scores while compiling a 6-4 record.
Veteran Carson Wentz, the No. 2 overall pick in 2016, also is on the roster. That opens the door to a potential trade of McCarthy, something he said he does not want.
“This is the place I want to be,” McCarthy said. “And I love every single person in this building. I love the state. I love the fanbase. And I’m going to continue to just do whatever I can for this team and this organization.”
The Vikings signed Murray in March to a one-year, $1.3 million deal, with the Cardinals paying the remainder of his $36.8 million salary for 2026 after they released him. McCarthy is entering the third season of his four-year, $21.8 million rookie contract, and Wentz, 33, is playing on a one-year, $3 million deal.