Former starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy was officially demoted to third on the Minnesota Vikings’ depth chart Wednesday.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell announced that veteran Carson Wentz will back up starter Kyler Murray in Sunday’s season opener against the NFC North rival Green Bay Packers in Minneapolis.
O’Connell characterized his quarterback situation as a “week-to-week” arrangement.
Third string is a steep fall for McCarthy, the 2024 first-round draft pick (10th overall) who went 6-4 in 10 starts last season.
“As he knows, he’s holding the pen on his story,” O’Connell said of McCarthy last month. “And we’re going to support him and try to just help him continue to improve as a young player in the most difficult position in sports.”
Last week, Vikings general manager Nolan Teasley said McCarthy’s third-string status does not mean he is on his way out.
“J.J. McCarthy’s role is to continue to develop, to improve and to support his teammates,” Teasley said. “And he’s done an excellent job of that from the moment that I’ve been here and, from my understanding, since he walked through the door.”
O’Connell named Murray the QB1 on Aug. 11. Murray, 29, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and is in his first season with the Vikings.
Wentz, 33, is entering his 11th NFL season and his second with Minnesota. He was 2-3 in five starts last season, throwing for 1,216 yards with six TDs and five picks.
McCarthy, 23, missed the 2024 season with a torn meniscus. Sam Darnold led the team to the playoffs, then signed as a free agent with the Seahawks and won the Super Bowl.
McCarthy completed 57.6% of his passes last season for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 picks. He also ran for 181 yards and four scores.