(Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) Getty
(Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images) Getty
The Minnesota Vikings have already demoted JJ McCarthy once, and some prominent NFL insiders believe a second downgrade is coming that will land him at QB3 status and put him either firmly on the trade block or perhaps the outside looking in at the 53-man roster.
If that proves the case following head coach Kevin O'Connell's decision to split work with the second-team between McCarthy and Carson Wentz on Tuesday, August 25, Minnesota must consider Will Levis as a replacement for McCarthy.
Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report named Levis, currently with the Tennessee Titans, among the most prominent cut candidates in the league.
"The first pick in the second round of the 2023 draft, Will Levis made 21 starts over his first two seasons. Then the Titans drafted Cam Ward first overall in 2025, and Levis was relegated to the bench," Davenport wrote Monday. "Ward is the unquestioned starter in Tennessee, while Mitchell Trubisky is a veteran backup with nine seasons and 57 starts under his belt. Levis faces a difficult path to a roster spot."
GettyMinnesota Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy.
Meanwhile, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk predicted Monday that new developments in Minnesota point to McCarthy either ending up traded or cut by week's end.
"With Max Brosmer also on the roster, McCarthy could be in danger of not being on the roster by Sunday, when the rosters reduce to 53," Florio wrote . "The Vikings undoubtedly would try to trade him, since the balance of his 2026 pay ($1.075 million) and all of his 2027 compensation ($3.775 million) are fully guaranteed. The Vikings may have to pay a significant chunk of the money in order to facilitate a deal."
"Ultimately, the Vikings may have to simply waive McCarthy," Florio added. "However it plays out, it's not looking good for McCarthy in Minnesota."
GettyMinnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray.
Kyler Murray is the starter in Minnesota and some of the bolder takes around the league have the 29-year-old finding a resurgence in his first season under O'Connell, with some going so far as to whisper of MVP consideration as the highest possible ceiling for Murray if literally everything goes exactly right.
But Murray, a two-time Pro Bowler and former No. 1 overall pick, is also undersized and injury prone. Wentz, his potential backup if McCarthy moves on (or gets moved on by Minnesota brass), also has a history of injury — including season-ending shoulder surgery after starting five games for the Vikings last season (2-3).
Brosmer should slip through the waiver wire and return to Minnesota's waiting arms and take up residence on the practice squad as the third-string QB. However, if Levis also hits waivers and the Vikings have an opportunity to claim him, they should pounce on it.
Levis is six-feet, four-inches tall and weighs 230 pounds. He has a big arm and is a more natural fit for O'Connell's offense than Murray. Levis is also younger and more durable than both Murray and Wentz.
That doesn't mean he should come in and compete for the starting job right away. But as good of a chance as there is for Murray to rediscover his former self in Minnesota, the odds are also reasonably good that the opposite happens.
In that case, and under circumstances in which the Vikings trade or cut McCarthy before the regular season, having Levis stashed as a future option could prove a boon for Minnesota. Levis is entering the final year of his $9.5 million rookie contract in 2026 and will be a free agent next March.
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