J.J. McCarthy’s tumble down the depth chart is complete.
Coach Kevin O’Connell announced Wednesday that Carson Wentz will serve as the backup quarterback to Kyler Murray on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. McCarthy will serve as QB3.
“I'm looking at that right now as a week-to-week thing,” O’Connell added. “Carson, he's got almost 100 career starts. What he was able to do last year from a standpoint of very limited repetition, but being able to apply a career's worth of experience, that's kind of what you need to do as a backup quarterback when so much of the emphasis is gonna be on getting Kyler as comfortable as we can possibly get him.”
It’s quite a fall for McCarthy, the 2024 No. 10 overall pick, but one that was telegraphed plainly most of the offseason. From the moment Murray signed a one-year deal in Minnesota, it was presumed he would start. Despite KOC’s insistence that McCarthy had a shot, it quickly became clear that Murray would be in the saddle Week 1.
The other indicator of McCarthy’s short leash was the club re-signing Wentz, who performed admirably in five appearances last season. The crowded QB room, which includes Max Brosmer on the practice squad, underscored that the club wasn’t going to go through the same QB ordeal it dealt with last year, when it let Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones walk out of the building to give McCarthy his shot.
Nine's preseason struggles and an ankle injury made KOC’s decision relatively easy. A team that otherwise should be battling for a playoff spot can’t take a chance on McCarthy being the backstop if Murray -- who has his own injury history -- goes down.
Despite the first-round pick sitting as QB3, O’Connell insisted that he’s “excited to continue to get a chance to work with” McCarthy.
"He's still two snaps away. So he's also gotta still prepare,” the coach added. “Even today, he had great questions about the game plan. [He's] bouncing around. He's still a beacon of energy on this team. Those traits are always gonna be there for him. ... J.J.'s still a young player with so much football still ahead of him.
"If and when we feel like he is ready and gives us the best chance, being one snap away with limited reps, we can obviously do that."
KOC isn’t giving up on J.J. just yet, but there isn’t much further the QB can fall before the club does move on.