Minnesota Vikings surprisingly demote former first-round pick JJ McCarthy to third string

J.J. McCarthy was once supposed to be "the guy" for the Minnesota Vikings. But going into Week 1 of the 2026 NFL regular season, he's not even the guy's backup.

That's because Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell named Carson Wentz the team's backup quarterback for Sunday's home game against the Green Bay Packers.

And on Aug. 11, O’Connell named Kyler Murray the starter for Sunday’s game and the foreseeable future.

VIKINGS QB BATTLE MEETS EXPECTED END AS KYLER MURRAY STARTS OVER MCCARTHY

O’Connell...