Vikings Make Surprising J.J. McCarthy Decision Ahead of Week 1

As the Minnesota Vikings prepare for the season opener against the Green Bay Packers, second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy has been placed on the third string on the depth chart behind Carson Wentz.

Head coach Kevin O’Connell stated that it is a week-to-week situation that the team will revisit. The decision to put Wentz ahead of McCarthy came down to his experience and production.

“Carson has got almost a hundred career starts,” O’Connell said via ESPN. “What he was able to do last year from a standpoint of very limited repetition, but being able to apply a career’s worth of experience, that’s kind of what you need to do as a backup quarterback, especially early on when so much of the emphasis is going to be on getting Kyler as comfortable as we can possibly get.”

Over the last few seasons, Wentz has proven to be a reliable backup who can step in and provide stable production when needed.

It has been a constant uphill battle for McCarthy this offseason as Kyler Murray’s arrival put him in competition for the starting job. He lost the position battle that led to Murray getting the first crack as the team’s starter.

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Although McCarthy is sitting third on the depth chart, it doesn’t necessarily mean that he will remain there after Week 1 action. He could move ahead of Wentz or potentially challenge Murray if he struggles to lead the team forward.

For the time being, McCarthy will have to work his back in favor of the Vikings’ coaching staff.