The Minnesota Vikings' quarterback situation became a little more interesting on Tuesday, as Carson Wentz and J.J. McCarthy split second-team reps during practice.
On the surface, it is notable. McCarthy entered the summer competing with Kyler Murray for the starting job, and while that battle did not go as he hoped, he was still expected to settle in as the clear No. 2 behind Murray. Meanwhile, Wentz has primarily served as a veteran insurance option while continuing to compete for a larger role in the quarterback room.
Now, with the preseason finale approaching, the Vikings are giving the two signal callers an opportunity to work with the second-team offense. That could mean Wentz is making a legitimate push to take over as Murray's backup. But there is another explanation that should not be overlooked.
McCarthy was reportedly banged up during Saturday's preseason loss to the Baltimore Ravens, according to head coach Kevin O'Connell. Perhaps that has contributed to the split in second term reps? McCarthy played only the first quarter against Baltimore, completing 5 of 10 passes for 81 yards. He had a stellar play that went 50-yards to WR Tai Felton, while leading a touchdown drive across four series, though he did misfire to a wide open Myles Price on a 4th-and-goal from the 1-yard line.
That context matters when looking at Tuesday's practice. According to reports from Vikings practice, McCarthy did participate but did not take all of the second-team reps. It could simply be Minnesota managing McCarthy's workload after he came out of the Ravens game banged up.
At the same time, the situation is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
Wentz has experience in O'Connell's offense and remains a capable veteran option. Last season, he completed 65.1 percent of his passes for 1,216 yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions in five games with Minnesota. McCarthy, meanwhile, completed 57.6 percent of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions across 10 starts in 2025.
McCarthy's long-term upside is obviously greater given his age and draft status, but the Vikings also have to determine who gives them the best chance to win if Murray goes down with an injury.
That's where Wentz becomes especially interesting. If he eventually takes over the QB2 role, it would create a much more complicated situation for McCarthy. The former first-round pick would suddenly be looking at a path from presumed franchise quarterback to starter, to backup and potentially even further down the depth chart in a matter of months.
For now, though, there are still too many variables to make that conclusion. Tuesday's reps could be the beginning of a genuine competition between Wentz and McCarthy. They could also simply be the Vikings protecting a quarterback who was recently banged up.
Either way, with Minnesota's preseason finale approaching, the quarterback room is worth watching closely behind Kyler Murray.
