Quarterback J.J. McCarthy’s descent from starter to possibly third on the Minnesota Vikings’ depth chart doesn’t mean he’s on his way out, first-year general manager Nolan Teasley said Wednesday.
Teasley said that he anticipates the former first-round draft pick will be on the team’s roster when the Vikings open the season on Sept. 13 against the visiting Green Bay Packers.
“J.J. McCarthy’s role is to continue to develop, to improve and to support his teammates,” said Teasley, formerly in the front office of the Seattle Seahawks before his hire in June. “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.”
Minnesota head coach Kevin O’Connell on Aug. 11 named Kyler Murray, 29, as the starting quarterback. Murray, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals, is in his first year in Minnesota.
Murray’s primary backup appears to be Carson Wentz, 33, who is entering his 11th NFL season and second with the Vikings.
McCarthy, 23, injured his ankle in the Aug. 22 preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens and didn’t play in the last game at Denver. Teasley said the quarterback practiced fully on Monday and Tuesday.
“He’s really talented,” Teasley said. “I think I said that from the jump. He was picked in the first round for a reason. Really good arm strength, underrated athlete and looking forward to how he continues to develop in this system. I think that the thing you need to keep in mind with J.J. is that he has the hardest job in sports. He’s only started 10 games and his story’s not written.”
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 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.
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, $21.85 million rookie contract, and Wentz is playing on a one-year, $3 million deal.
Murray started all of his 87 regular-season games and one playoff contest in seven years with the Cardinals. A two-time Pro Bowl selection, He was the 2019 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
On Wednesday, Minnesota re-signed second-year quarterback Max Brosmer to the practice squad. Brosmer, 25, played in seven games as an undrafted rookie with the team and completed 47 of 71 passes (66.2%) for 328 yards and four interceptions. He went 1-1 in two starts.
