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Vikings Get Harsh Message on J.J. McCarthy Decision After Loss
J.J. McCarthy's inconsistent preseason performance has sparked debate about his role with the Vikings, with analysts predicting Carson Wentz could leapfrog him for the backup spot behind Kyler Murray. Despite a 50-yard completion, McCarthy missed key throws and took multiple hits, raising concerns about his development and future in Minnesota.
The Minnesota Vikings fell to the Baltimore Ravens 13-3 in their second preseason game on Aug. 22 at U.S. Bank Stadium. J.J. McCarthy played the first quarter, completing 5 of 10 passes for 81 yards and taking one sack. His most notable play was a 50-yard completion to Tai Felton, but he also missed several throws, including a pass to a wide-open Myles Price near the goal line on 4th-and-1.
After the game, McCarthy acknowledged his mistakes: "Those are just throws I gotta make," he told reporters. "Called great plays. At the end of the day, I know I can make those throws." He added that he felt "really good" mechanically and that seeing his work show up in live action was "really exciting and really encouraging."
Injury Concerns and Coaching Decisions
McCarthy took multiple hits behind the second-team offensive line. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported that McCarthy was sacked once and hit multiple times, with the Ravens broadcast indicating he was "wincing" on the sidelines after his final drive. Alec Lewis of The Athletic noted on X that McCarthy was "getting absolutely obliterated back there" and that trainers came over to him after a third-down attempt to Price.
Head coach Kevin O'Connell said McCarthy got "a little banged up in the first quarter" and that the team had planned to use him longer but decided to end his day early. McCarthy himself said he was "a little banged up, but yeah, I'm healthy."
Phil Mackey of Purple Daily questioned the decision to play McCarthy only one quarter, arguing he needs as many reps as possible after limited college volume and injury-shortened seasons. "What value do you gain out of that?" Mackey asked.
Depth Chart Speculation
Judd Zulgad of Purple Daily predicted that Carson Wentz will be the Vikings' QB2 behind Kyler Murray when they face the Packers on Sept. 13, with McCarthy starting the season as QB3. Zulgad cited McCarthy's inconsistency and tendency to hold the ball too long as key issues. Former Vikings linebacker Ben Leber echoed this, saying McCarthy shows "panic" and a "manic nature" under pressure, in contrast to Wentz's "smoothness."
Wentz completed 9 of 11 passes for 92 yards against the Ravens, with a 101.5 passer rating. Through two preseason games, Wentz is 18-of-25 for 173 yards and a touchdown, while McCarthy is 9-of-17 for 115 yards with no scores.
Trade Rumors Intensify
With Murray already named starter, trade speculation has grown. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said on SportsCenter that McCarthy could be QB2 or QB3 and that the Vikings could field trade calls. Shannon Sharpe said he would trade McCarthy, adding, "I trust Carson Wentz more than I trust him." Jason La Canfora mentioned the Eagles as possible suitors, citing their previous Kenny Pickett rental.
Alec Lewis of The Athletic described the possibility of acquiring McCarthy for a late day-three or sixth-round pick. However, Kevin O'Connell has previously said that organizations fail young quarterbacks before young quarterbacks fail organizations, and McCarthy has about 10 career starts.
Looking Ahead
The Vikings' final preseason game is against the Denver Broncos on Aug. 28. The team will then need to finalize its 53-man roster, with the backup quarterback situation a key decision. While some, like Dave Portnoy, maintain that McCarthy will eventually start again, the mounting criticism and Wentz's steady play suggest his future in Minnesota is far from secure.
How each outlet told it
FOX 9
Framing: Team-level message about giving guys opportunities after loss; not McCarthy crisis-focused — Measured/reportorial — balanced takeaways sections without demotion language
Facts Included:
Vikings lost 13-3 to Ravens Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium (published Aug. 23, 2026)
McCarthy 5-of-10 for 81; 50-yard pass to Tai Felton; missed Myles Price 4th-and-goal from 1
O'Connell on failed red-zone finish and momentum
McCarthy: plays he has to make; left a little banged up but fine
Wentz 9-of-11 for 92 in QB2 battle behind Murray
Dominique Orange dropped into coverage; Josh Metellus absent from pregame huddle, Price stepped in
Next: preseason finale at Broncos, then roster cuts, Week 1 vs Packers
Framing: Emphasizes a 'concerning prediction' about McCarthy after the loss; leaves out injury angle and McCarthy's own comments as primary hook — Concerned/critical of McCarthy — 'J.J. McCarthy’s inconsistency just continues to be a huge problem'
Facts Included:
Vikings lost to Ravens 13-3 in second preseason game on Aug. 22 at U.S. Bank Stadium
McCarthy played first quarter: 5-for-10, 81 yards, sacked once
Wentz: 9-for-11, 92 yards, sacked twice
Judd Zulgad predicted Wentz will be QB2 behind Kyler Murray on Sept. 13 vs Packers and McCarthy QB3
Zulgad cited McCarthy inconsistency, red-zone misses to Tai Felton and Myles Price, holding ball too long
McCarthy postgame: 'Those are just throws I gotta make'
Framing: Leads on possible new injury report; performance and depth-chart threat are secondary in the headline — Alarm-tinged on health — 'might have also suffered yet another injury'; 'unfortunate trend'
Facts Included:
McCarthy struggled vs Ravens and may have suffered another injury
Florio/PFT: sacked once, hit multiple times; Ravens broadcast said he was wincing; doctors attended him
Alec Lewis: McCarthy 'absolutely obliterated'; trainers on sideline
O'Connell: banged up in first quarter behind 2nd O-line; day ended early
Prior injuries: full rookie season lost to knee; seven games last year (high-ankle, concussion, hand fracture)
McCarthy 5-of-10 for 81; preseason 9-of-17 for 115, two sacks, no TDs
Wentz preseason 18-of-25 for 173 and a TD
Murray named starter before preseason; did not play vs Baltimore
Framing: Emphasizes McCarthy’s 'strong words' after the loss; centers his voice over analyst demotion talk — Sympathetic to McCarthy’s account — 'calms any concern of an injury'; highlights encouraging mechanics quote
Facts Included:
Vikings lost 13-3 to Ravens Aug. 22; McCarthy first quarter 5-for-10, 81 yards, sacked once
Two costly misses including to Myles Price near goal line
McCarthy quotes on throws he must make and feeling 'really good' mechanically
Wincing/sideline concern per PFT; McCarthy: 'A little banged up, but yeah, I’m healthy'
Phil Mackey puzzled McCarthy only played one quarter; needs reps after limited college volume and injuries
Framing: 'Harsh message' on the McCarthy decision after loss — coaching usage decision as news — Questioning toward coaching plan — Mackey 'What value do you gain out of that?' balanced with Portnoy support
Facts Included:
McCarthy one quarter, then Wentz, then Max Brosmer half in 13-3 loss Aug. 22
Phil Mackey critique of QB allotment and McCarthy rep deficit
McCarthy 5-for-10, 81 yards, one sack; misses to Price
Wincing after hits per PFT; possible reason day not extended
Zulgad guess on third-team plan explaining snap split
Dave Portnoy still believes McCarthy can start again in Minnesota or elsewhere
Framing: McCarthy 'in danger of demotion' after Ravens game — depth-chart threat as headline — Ominous/critical — 'struggled both mightily and in specifically disconcerting ways'
Facts Included:
Murray named starter before first preseason snap; McCarthy worse after two August games
After Giants opener where Wentz outplayed him, struggled vs Ravens in disconcerting ways
Zulgad: 5-for-10, 50-yard Felton, red-zone 'Mason Miller fastballs,' no points
Lewis on miss to wide-open Price; Leming comparison to Trubisky/Fields defenders
Seifert: constant pressure behind No. 2 line; sacked once hit on 3 other plays
Trainers checked injury-prone McCarthy (rookie year missed; seven games 2025)
Wentz 18-of-25, 173 yards, 1 TD; McCarthy 9-of-17, 115; each two sacks
O'Connell left open Wentz winning QB2; Wentz arguably better in five starts last year than McCarthy in 10
Framing: Saturday’s loss 'told Vikings all they need to know' about McCarthy and QB2 — conclusive organizational read — Elegiac/critical first-person — 'breaking point'; 'I’ve been wrong'; 'unsalvageable'
Facts Included:
Draft flashback: McCarthy taken 2024 after trade up; highest-drafted QB in team history
849 days later same stadium fighting for future; lost starting job to Murray; Wentz may pass him for backup
50-yard Felton completion; misses including wide-open Price; throw to Jeshaun Jones; 5-for-10 for 81
Career arc: 2024 preseason excitement then torn meniscus; mixed 10 starts with injuries
Wentz 9-for-11 for 92, 101.5 rating; better processing/baseline
Author previously high on McCarthy; now sees unsalvageable path; day-3 trade value vs stash as QB3; name Wentz backup for 2026 stability
Framing: 'Brutal assessment' and 'preseason dud' — performance failure as the story — Dismissive/harsh — 'ugly watch'; 'pull the plug on their McCarthy experiment'
Facts Included:
Murray already named starter; McCarthy not proving he can be backup
McCarthy one quarter in 3-13 loss: 5 of 10 for 81; failed to score on 4th-and-1
Alec Lewis quotes on being obliterated, trainers, missing wide-open Price too high and hot
Played behind second-team line; decision-making and pocket presence erratic
Wentz more poised though no TD drives; Super Bowl contender may demote McCarthy even at QB2
Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.
Claim
Confidence
Status
ClaimThe Minnesota Vikings lost to the Baltimore Ravens 13-3 in their second preseason game on Aug. 22 at U.S. Bank Stadium.
ClaimJudd Zulgad predicted that Carson Wentz will be the Vikings' QB2 behind Kyler Murray on Sept. 13 against the Packers and that J.J. McCarthy will start the season as QB3.
ClaimJudd Zulgad said J.J. McCarthy's inconsistency continues to be a huge problem and that McCarthy takes too long with the football, which is why he gets hit.
ClaimJ.J. McCarthy missed Myles Price, who was wide open near the goal line, on a throw that was too high on a failed red-zone series against the Ravens.
ClaimMike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported that McCarthy was sacked once and hit multiple times and that the Ravens broadcast indicated he was wincing on the sidelines after his final drive.
ClaimAlec Lewis of The Athletic reported that J.J. McCarthy was getting absolutely obliterated and that trainers came over to him on the sideline after the third-down attempt to Myles Price.
ClaimKevin O'Connell said J.J. McCarthy got a little banged up in the first quarter behind the second offensive line and that the Vikings ended his day earlier than planned.
ClaimJ.J. McCarthy sat out seven games last season with injuries that included a high-ankle sprain, a concussion, and a hairline fracture in his throwing hand.
ClaimPhil Mackey said he did not know why the Vikings had J.J. McCarthy play only the first quarter, Carson Wentz the second, and Max Brosmer an entire half, arguing McCarthy needs as many reps as possible.
ClaimAlec Lewis wrote that McCarthy missed a wide-open Myles Price on 4th-and-1 with a throw that was way too high and hot, and did the same on a Tai Felton throw two plays earlier.
ClaimIn the 2024 NFL Draft the Vikings traded up one spot with the Jets to select Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy, making him the highest-drafted quarterback in team history.
ClaimFormer Vikings linebacker Ben Leber said McCarthy shows panic and a manic nature in his processing under pressure, in contrast to Carson Wentz's smoothness and touch.
ClaimKevin O'Connell left open the possibility that Carson Wentz could win the Vikings' QB2 job, saying the team will do what's best over the next couple of weeks.