Minnesota Vikings News and Links: Don’t Throw The Baby Out With The Bath Water!

One more preseason game for players trying to make the roster to make one last impression. The coaches probably know who they are going to release and add to the practice squad already. Maybe one last game will sway them in their tough decisions?

Much of the discussion now is about JJ McCarthy and his potential depth chart position. There are even some reports out there now speculating that JJ may not even make the team. I think the original idiotic idea came from Florio and then it got aggregated by all the rest of the “writers” out there. If the team flat out releases him they have to take another 3.775M dead money cap hit on his already existing 5.96M cap hit. They would get that back in additional 2027 cap space though. If they are able to trade him then they would save an additional 2.781M in cap space this year and 3.775M in 2027.

I am not sure there is another team that is going to give anything significant for JJ right now mainly because it is so close to the start of the season. He would be going to a new team having to learn a new system on the fly. I would be very surprised if the team moved him now but stranger things have happened.

I think there is too much over analysis on every mistake he makes. It has to be tough for him to see all this social media stuff out there about himself. He can try to avoid it but it likely is impossible. I do not know what is going to happen due to his contract situation but the team does not have to do anything but continue to develop him and guide him on his journey. The NFL is unpredictable and we never know what will happen.

KOC joined this podcast last year that explains his thought process a little when it comes to evaluating QBs during training camp.

“There’s not enough time in the day for me to explain all the reasons why you’re wrong. We’re going to go into the quarterback room, we’re going to watch it, and we’re going to get better tomorrow,” he said.

This last sentence is the key for those folks who look at practice reps and think they know who is “winning” the competition. The message that KOC gives to his QBs is to be aggressive in practices and he does not care about interceptions. He wants to use these situations as opportunities for growth IMHO.

Minnesota Vikings News and Links

Kevin O’Connell on J.J. McCarthy, Injury Updates, Final Preseason Game, Standout Players in Training Camp & More
https://www.vikings.com/video/kevin-o-connell-on-j-j-mccarthy-injury-updates-final-preseason-game-standout-players-in-training-camp-more

JJ McCarthy Predicted to Depart Vikings After Latest Development
https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/minnesota-vikings/jj-mccarthy-cut-trade-carson-wentz-backup-qb/

One month ago, JJ McCarthy was embroiled in a battle for the Minnesota Vikings’ starting quarterback job. One week from now, he could be unemployed and hunting a new team.

So went a take from Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk after McCarthy and Carson Wentz split QB2 reps at practice on Tuesday, August 25.

“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.”

But with a thin trade market for quarterbacks because of relative health at the position around the league, there is a chance Minnesota might not find any takers for McCarthy if the franchise attempts to move him.

The Indianapolis Colts haven’t been able to find a suitor for Anthony Richardson, a former No. 4 overall pick, since allowing him to seek a trade partner beginning at the NFL Combine in late February. Meanwhile, 2025 third-round selection Dillon Gabriel is a cut candidate for the Cleveland Browns heading into just his second year.

“Ultimately, the Vikings may have to simply waive McCarthy,” Florio continued. “However it plays out, it’s not looking good for McCarthy in Minnesota. It will be interesting to see whether and to what extent McCarthy plays in the preseason finale against the [Denver] Broncos.”
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Meanwhile, Wentz has outplayed McCarthy this preseason. He also arguably put together a better five-game stretch as the Vikings’ starter in 2025 between Weeks 3-7 while McCarthy was sidelined with a high-ankle sprain than McCarthy did across his 10 starts over the course of the campaign.
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“We’ll see how these next couple weeks play out, and we’re gonna do what’s best for our team,” O’Connell said.

J.J. McCarthy Gets Clear Assessment Amid Vikings Uncertainty
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/j-j-mccarthy-gets-clear-074917891.html

Amid an uncertain future in Minnesota, former NFL QB Matt Leinart gave a blunt assessment of McCarthy’s outlook.

“You get in there [and] you don’t have maybe the guys around you [and] you don’t play extremely well; you only get one or two opportunities in this league, and then you’re done,” Leinart said during an Aug. 26 appearance on “The Dan Patrick Show.”

“They bring in a guy like Kyler Murray. I’m assuming Carson Wentz might be the backup, right? J.J. McCarthy might not be on the team. Big picture, I think it’s an opportunity for him to take a step back and understand, ‘Hey, this is where I need to get better, learn and grow.'”

Moreover, Leinart stressed how much of a jump it is for a QB to go from college to the NFL.

“I just think in this day and age, a lot of these guys are playing so much football,” Leinart added. “They’re so productive from high school to college and the system and all that. But I’m telling you, man, the NFL is a different game. It is just different.

“You can’t practice the speed. You can’t practice the mental part of it. And these kids get thrown in there, especially a kid like J.J. McCarthy, who I covered at Michigan. I think he’s a really good player. I think he’s got a shot.”

Leinart also isn’t placing the blame on the QB, noting that franchises can put players in positions where they can’t succeed.

The former NFL QB believes that oftentimes, teams reach for a signal-caller and that player carries the pressure of living up to his draft selection. Regarding the Vikings, they invested a Top 10 pick, so McCarthy is under pressure to live up to it.

“I do think it’s unfair unless you’re a guy like Caleb [Williams] and some of these guys who are just so different skill-wise that can outplay the learning part of it. It’s tough. [McCarthy is] a good kid. He’s a good player.

“Again, it also goes back to a lot of these teams reaching for quarterbacks in the first round. That’s another thing, too. There’s such a premium to try and get your next guy that I think sometimes you overdraft.”

Vikings’ uncomfortable J.J. McCarthy reality is becoming impossible to ignore
https://thevikingage.com/minnesota-vikings-uncomfortable-jj-mccarthy-reality-impossible-ignore

On Tuesday’s episode of SKOR North’s “Purple Daily” show, when co-host Phil Mackey asked him for his sense on where things stand on the QB2 front, Judd Zulgad hit the perfect note about McCarthy.

“There’s a couple of things that I think are important to keep in mind here. One is, I don’t think the competition for the backup is McCarthy against Wentz. I think it’s McCarthy against McCarthy.”

After Mackey called that idea “very meta”, Zulgad reinforced the point.

“Yeah, because Wentz… they’ve literally said we don’t think he needs a ton of work. So it’s not like a duel. It’s more like J.J. McCarthy, the good J.J., is competing against the bad one. And that’s the competition.”

Vikings’ Former GM Sends Blunt Message to J.J. McCarthy
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/vikings-former-gm-sends-blunt-002912290.html

Former Vikings GM Jeff Diamond recently shared his opinions on the McCarthy situation in a piece for Vikings Territory.

“The way McCarthy’s early career has unfolded is not what the Vikings hoped for when they drafted him (as the highest drafted QB in franchise history) and projected him to be a future franchise QB. I still see McCarthy as a talented quarterback who the team should not give up on at this juncture, and they must continue to work on his mechanics, accuracy, and touch.”
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Carson Wentz spoke with Kyle Joudry of Vikings Territory after practice. Joudry asked an interesting question, inquiring about how J.J. McCarthy has handled his demotion.

“I think he’s handled it well,” began Wentz. “It’s a tough business. It’s a tough league…tough with media, the pressure, all the things that come with it.” Joudry mentioned that Wentz “hastened to add” that “the story is far from written for him, for Kyler, and for myself.”

Wentz finished on the topic of McCarthy: “I think he’s gotten better since I got here. I’ve seen it firsthand.” Joudry then says he pivoted off of the McCarthy questioning and moved on to Carson Wentz’s own role on the Vikings. He shared the answer in full.

“Great question. It’s help the team however I can. Stay ready, whatever that looks like. Yeah, at the end of the day it’s why I signed here is to, if my number gets called, I’m confident in what I can do and what I can bring to the table within this system especially. So we’ll see how it all shakes out.”

Analyst Believes A Significant Rift Exists Between JJ McCarthy and Kyler Murray
https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/minnesota-vikings/jj-mccarthy-kyler-murray-feud/

Many believe that a rift might exist in the Vikings locker room between quarterbacks JJ McCarthy and Kyler Murray. Based on comments from KFAN1003’s Ben Leber, those concerns are seemingly valid.

“What is the energy like in the locker room? What is the energy like in the quarterback room?” Leber said Monday on KFAN’s Power Trip Morning Show (per Bring Me The Sports). “They have to do a vibe check on what the locker room is like and what their relationship is like because, clearly, it’s not a great relationship from a personal standpoint. That’s been known since Day 1. So how does that look now?”

He later added, “Shoot, we were even talking about it with (Vikings GM) Nolan Teasley during the broadcast, that every team is trying to set this winning culture, and if you’ve got two quarterbacks that are beefing and have this unspoken, tense relationship in the quarterback room, that then permeates through the locker room.”

What is McCarthy’s future with the Vikings?
https://www.nbcsports.com/watch/the-dan-patrick-show/j-j-mccarthys-future-with-minnesota-vikings-in-doubt

‘Picked the Wrong Guy’ — Ex NFL Scout Offers Harsh Reality Check to Vikings Amid J.J. McCarthy’s Uncertain Future
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/picked-wrong-guy-ex-nfl-215304863.html

Vikings Center’s Ongoing Issue Raises Eyebrows at Practice
https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/minnesota-vikings/center-ongoing-issue-raises-eyebrows/

Training camp is a spot to work out the kinks and the struggles. It appears that Brandel and Murray are still trying to get used to snapping the ball out of the shotgun formation, as noted by Goessling.

“Blake Brandel has been working to improve the accuracy of his shotgun snaps, and we saw Murray have to go low for another one in Tuesday’s practice.”

His versatility is something that has been noticeable from the jump. He played right tackle for nine games, starting as a redshirt freshman for Oregon State. He played at the right guard spot in 2023, where he was able to fill in for Christian Darrisaw. Brandel also played this position for the Beavers at the collegiate level.

Brandel then transitioned to left guard in the 2024 season, where he started the position throughout the year.

Metrically, Brandel can hold his own at the center position. He had a 61.4 overall grade in 2025, putting him 28th out of 40 centers in the NFL, according to metrics from Pro Football Focus. He had a 67.6 pass-blocking grade, which put him 15th out of 40 centers. Pass-blocking was his best asset, as he had the highest mark in that category. Run blocking proved to be a bit more challenging for him, as he had a 61.9 overall grade. That put him 28th out of 40 centers. Brandel played 604 snaps overall.

Is Ivan Pace Jr. Blocking Jacob Roberts’ Path To Meaningful Snaps?
https://zonecoverage.com/2026/minnesota-vikings-news/is-ivan-pace-jr-blocking-jacob-roberts-path-to-meaningful-snaps/

Vikings vs. Broncos Preview: 5 key elements to watch that will impact the 53-man roster
https://atozsports.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings-news/vikings-vs-broncos-preseason-preview-max-brosmer-dillon-bell-demond-claiborne-jakobe-thomas/

Everything we learned from Kevin O’Connell’s last remarks of Vikings camp
https://thevikingage.com/everything-learned-kevin-oconnell-remarks-minnesota-vikings-training-camp

Vikings Unveil New ‘Rivalries’ Uniform
https://www.vikings.com/news/unveiling-new-rivalries-uniform-2026

Analyst predicts the Vikings’ defensive line to take a ‘step back’
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/analyst-predicts-vikings-defensive-line-033545702.html

CBS Sports NFL roster rankings 2026: Sorting the league’s bottom half from 32-17
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2026-nfl-roster-rankings-32-17/

Minnesota Vikings
Depth Chart

The good: Wide receiver — Kyler Murray has some nice weaponry to work with in Minnesota. Justin Jefferson is one of the best receivers in the NFL, having racked up more receiving yards (5,464) than any other player over the last four years. Jordan Addison is a great No. 2, recording 911 yards and 10 touchdowns as a rookie in 2023, 875 yards and nine touchdowns in 2024, then 610 yards and three touchdowns with the struggling J.J. McCarthy in 2025. The Vikings also have one of the best “No. 3s” in the NFL with Jauan Jennings. He emerged as a trusted target of Brock Purdy in San Francisco. Believe it or not, Jennings tied George Kittle for the most receiving touchdowns on the team over the last two years, and had the most receptions (47) and receiving yards (546) by a 49er on third down over the past two seasons. In fact, he led the team in red-zone (34), fourth-quarter (50), and third-down targets (69) over the last two years. Underrated.

The bad: Safety — The Vikings are beginning a new era on the back end with Harrison Smith now gone. Joshua Metellus and Jay Ward are slated to be the starters at safety. Metellus is entering his seventh season with Minnesota, and he recorded back-to-back 100-tackle seasons in 2023 and 2024. Ward has started in just five of 50 career games played for Minnesota and has one career pass deflection and zero interceptions. He did have that electric sack of Jaxson Dart in the first preseason game of the year, though. Then there’s third-round pick Jakobe Thomas out of Miami, who I think could be a legitimate sleeper. Maybe he can quell concerns at safety immediately.

The question: Quarterback — If Murray returns to Pro Bowl form and is rejuvenated by this change of scenery, then the Vikings are a legitimate NFL sleeper. However, he has to prove that. Murray has missed 30 out of a possible 68 games over the last five years, and Jacoby Brissett looked like an upgrade over him in Arizona last year. Murray is also running a different style of offense, but Kevin O’Connell is encouraged by what he can be in this scheme.

Minnesota Vikings’ scouting staff continues to get praise for their offseason work this preseason, and it’s getting hard to ignore
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/minnesota-vikings-scouting-staff-continues-164526746.html

5 J.J. McCarthy Trade Packages Minnesota Vikings Could Consider
https://sportsnaut.com/nfl/jj-mccarthy-trade-packages-minnesota-vikings

Minnesota Vikings’ New Front Office Now ‘Questioning’ Caleb Banks Draft Pick
https://sportsnaut.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings-new-front-office-questioning-caleb-banks-selection

Vikings DT Caleb Banks is a work in progress, and Brian Flores is seeing both sides of it
https://atozsports.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings-news/vikings-dt-caleb-banks-work-in-progress-brian-flores-seeing-it/

Through the first two preseason games, we’ve seen the best and worst Banks has to offer, further confirming that he’s very far from being a finished product. That isn’t lost on defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who has seen everything from Banks through training camp.

“I’m looking at this meeting, to walk through the practice, to the habits that are being built, the routine that we’re seeing start to evolve,” said Flores on Tuesday afternoon. “Probably the best word. The routine that’s starting to evolve, and I think he’s seeing. ‘Hey, when I do this, this, and this, I get the results I’m looking for” and every rookie’s that way.”

We’ve seen a lot from Banks in the first two preseason games, and there were questions about if he was in shape or not. He confirmed that he wasn’t quite in shape yet, but it’s also not a massive deal. He did spend most of the offseason healing from a broken foot, which can easily equate to a lack of cardiovascular shape.

Even with that, the flashes Banks has shows equates to why the Vikings drafted him. Flores praised how well Banks has been doing.

“Caleb’s doing a real nice job. I think he’s improving. You know, the one thing about him is he works, and it’s important to him. And in my experience, guys who work at it and continually try to improve, they improve and develop. And so I think he and really the rest of the rookie group is doing a good job.”

Note: The criticism of Banks is way off base and too soon. The dude hurt his foot at the combine, had a surgery, and was finally recovered in June. Yet some folks think he should be in tip top shape right now. I think he is going to be fine and it simply will take some time. Hopefully, he will be ready to ramp up his snap counts in the second half of the season as the team is making it’s playoff push!