Carson Wentz, Kyler Murray make next move for Vikings' J.J. McCarthy obvious

Minnesota's QB room got more crowded with Carson Wentz's return a week after Kyler Murray joined. Now? J.J. McCarthy should go the Sam Darnold route.

J.J. McCarthy’s “welcome to the NFL” moment was as brutal as anyone’s – especially given what seems like its ongoing duration.

There's no quicker way for the shine to come off a top-10 draft pick than for him to suffer a season-ending injury in his first pro game – a preseason contest at that. Then his perceived insurance policy, Sam Darnold, led the Minnesota Vikings to a 14-3 record in 2024 and nearly the NFC’s No. 1 playoff seed before settling for a league mark for the most regular-season wins by a wild-card entry.

Of course, the Vikes infamously allowed Darnold to leave last year and all he did was lead the Seattle Seahawks to victory in Super Bowl 60. As for McCarthy? His first season on the field was sullied by injuries and inconsistency. Minnesota won five fewer games and missed the playoffs – then signed two-time Pro Bowler Kyler Murray, the No. 1 pick of the 2019 draft, to their quarterback room last week. Perhaps worse? McCarthy’s backup in 2025, Carson Wentz – the No. 2 pick in 2016 – re-signed on March 19.

What does it all mean for McCarthy? He’s basically been effectively snuffed in Skol country.

The NFL isn’t fair, we all know this. It isn’t fair to established superstars in their primes – just ask Maxx Crosby. It isn’t fair to first-year head coaches or legendary ones – just ask Nathaniel Hackett, Steve Wilks or Pete Carroll. And, these days especially, it certainly isn’t fair to presumed franchise quarterbacks who don’t experience near-instant success. Just ask Darnold.