The Unthinkable Was Just Suggested for J.J. McCarthy
J.J. McCarthy could be benched — or the Minnesota Vikings should at least consider it. That’s the latest and greatest theory from SI.com‘s Albert Breer.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy has started two games in his career, and a wild theory is already being floated about his future.
The young passer has just two starts under his belt, and strangely, some are already recommending a demotion for the 2024 1st-Rounder.
Bench J.J. McCarthy? The Theory Is Out There.
That didn’t take long. McCarthy has played two games.
Prominent NFL Insider Suggests Benching J.J. McCarthy
Two things have occurred for McCarthy in 2025: 1) The man delivered a 4th Quarter comeback in his first-ever start against the Chicago Bears in Week 1 — a wickedly exciting feat that inspired Vikings fans for one week. 2) McCarthy played like garbage in seven quarters — basically all besides the 4th Quarter in Chicago.
Therefore, some have wondered if Minnesota would bench McCarthy when he heals from a high ankle sprain in favor of veteran signal-caller Carson Wentz.
The aforementioned Breer was asked this week on a podcast if McCarthy would be reinstated into the lineup in a few weeks.
Breer replied: “I think he does. I just think he does. But I think this is a team that, with such a high ceiling, at the other 21 positions, that you have to give that team every chance you can to compete for a championship. This isn’t a team that’s built where you say you can throw the season overboard in the name of quarterback development.
“If you think, ‘We’re gonna be the 7 seed instead of the 2 seed because our young quarterback is gonna go through a lot of developmental things over the course of the year, and we think this other guy over here will help us avoid those sorts of bumps.’ Then yeah, you have to consider it.”
So, yes, benching McCarthy is evidently on the table as soon as now, according to some.
The Man Has Started … Two Games
It’s a true sign of The Digital Age — everything is rushed, immediate, and now-now-now — when a Round 1 quarterback’s status as a starter is in jeopardy after two games. Two games.
In one of the games, the very first one, McCarthy even led the improbable comeback at Soldier Field against a primary divisional rival. That occurred about two weeks ago, and somehow, that heroism bought McCarthy very little grace or goodwill. If it did, credible NFL thinkers wouldn’t be speculating about the bench for McCarthy.
But here we are.
Premature Love Affair with Carson Wentz
Carson Wentz manned the enterprise in Week 3 as his Vikings thumped the Cincinnati Bengals by a score of 48-10. In a “What have you done for me lately?” regard, folks have apparently seen Wentz deliver a win, and that’s good enough to ponder McCarthy’s bench fate.
In reality, Wentz produced a 34.8 QBR from ESPN, generally considered unremarkable — or bad — by most quarterbacking standards. Wentz merely avoided silly turnovers, as Minnesota’s defense took care of the rest on the back of a legendary day from cornerback Isaiah Rodgers.
The “QB wins” crowd is high on Wentz because his team won last weekend. Perhaps judgment should be reserved for games when Minnesota’s defense doesn’t score defensive touchdowns at will.
Damage to McCarthy’s Development Should Be Avoided
Benching McCarthy after just two games, following an offseason in which the team proclaimed him the starter, could spell disaster for his long-term development. The Vikings pounded the table for patience on McCarthy’s acclimation to the NFL, and benching him at the first sight of raw performance would fundamentally contradict the longstanding company line.
Sidelining McCarthy should only be reserved for poor leadership or attitudinal reasons, which McCarthy has emphatically not displayed, well, ever.
It’s really not that complex to stay committed on a path to a quarterback’s development. A coaching staff takes the good with the bad and empowers the youngster every step of the way. Benching is the opposite approach.
More Takes on the McCarthy QB2 Topic
A to Z Sports‘ Tyler Forness also tackled the subject this week.
He noted, “McCarthy is the starting quarterback of this team, and every move the Vikings have made over the last 18 months has been with that in mind, including not making a significant effort to re-sign Sam Darnold, who won 14 games in 2024 as the Vikings quarterback.”
“Why would that change just three weeks into the season? The notion itself is ridiculous. If the Vikings were to bench McCarthy after just two starts because he struggled to replace him with Wentz, who played like an NFL backup, it would be malpractice, like it was with Anthony Richardson and the Indianapolis Colts.”
In all likelihood, Minnesota will not bench McCarthy, instead sticking to the plan for his development.
“If you veer off course to the path that you committed to because of a sprained ankle, it’s a signal of a much bigger problem. Remember, the Colts understood they had a very young and raw player in Richardson and knew he needed time, patience, and most importantly, reps. They threw him out too early, and he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury, which severely stunted his development,” Forness continued.
“Then, he got benched halfway through his second season, and now he isn’t a starter at all when he was the fourth overall pick. If you bench McCarthy for Wentz, you are in danger of doing that, and it doesn’t make a lot of sense.”
Most believe McCarthy will be healed in time for action after the bye week — so October 19th against the Philadelphia Eagles.
You must be logged in to post a comment.