Eleven touchdown passes against 12 interceptions across the 2025 season produced a turnovers-above-scores ratio that frames what happened next. The Minnesota Vikings, who traded up to select J.J. McCarthy No. 10 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, have placed him third on their Week 1 depth chart, behind starter Kyler Murray and backup Carson Wentz, ahead of Sunday's home game against the Green Bay Packers.
Coach Kevin O'Connell confirmed the Wentz designation to reporters, pointing to Wentz's "almost 100 career starts" as the deciding variable. With preparation time directed heavily toward integrating Murray into the offense, the backup role requires a quarterback who can operate on minimal repetitions. O'Connell characterized the arrangement as week-to-week.
The developmental math
| Category | Figure |
|---|---|
| 2024 draft pick | No. 10 overall |
| 2025 TD passes (reported) | 11 |
| 2025 interceptions (reported) | 12 |
| Wentz career starts (per O'Connell) | ~100 |
| 2026 depth chart position | 3rd string |
McCarthy entered 2025 having lost his entire rookie year to a torn meniscus in his right knee, suffered during the team's first preseason game against the Raiders. The developmental gap never closed. He opened 2025 with a fourth-quarter comeback at Chicago and earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors, a result that suggested a real ceiling. He finished with turnovers exceeding touchdowns and a concussion among his injury disruptions. The pick Minnesota passed over when it traded up was Bo Nix, who opened 2025 as Denver's starter.
Minnesota added Murray in the offseason rather than carry the developmental risk into another year. Murray is contracted through this season only, recreating a re-signing decision the club has already navigated poorly: Sam Darnold played well in 2024, was not retained, and won the Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks last season. If Murray performs comparably and the Vikings re-sign him, McCarthy's path to a starting role in Minnesota closes regardless of the week-to-week framing.
For the weeks he is active, McCarthy's primary assignment will be running the scout team, with emphasis on simulating the mobile quarterbacks Minnesota's defense will face.