Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Aug 30

Vikings Keep 4 Quarterbacks on Initial 53-Man Roster as McCarthy, Brosmer Survive Cuts

Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Aug 30

Vikings Keep 4 Quarterbacks on Initial 53-Man Roster as McCarthy, Brosmer Survive Cuts

Q: With Kyler Murray locked as starter, is J.J. McCarthy's roster spot a sunk cost or a hidden long-term strategy?

It looks more like a long-term hedge than a pure sunk cost, though the Vikings are clearly downgrading McCarthy in the short term. The clearest evidence is that Minnesota kept him through cutdowns even after naming Kyler Murray the 2026 starter early in camp, despite trade speculation and despite Carson Wentz pushing for the No. 2 role. McCarthy is only 23 and remains under team control through 2027, which gives the Vikings a relatively cheap developmental window. That matters because Murray is on a one-year deal and Wentz is a stopgap veteran, so Minnesota still lacks a settled answer beyond this season. At the same time, the move is not a vote of confidence in McCarthy as a near-term starter. His 2025 season was uneven — 11 touchdown passes, 12 interceptions, a 57% completion rate over 10 starts — and injuries have repeatedly interrupted his development, from the torn meniscus as a rookie to multiple issues in 2025 and now the ankle sprain. The Vikings’ decision to sign Murray and quickly install him as QB1 showed they no longer felt comfortable building 2026 around McCarthy. So his roster spot is partly asset preservation and partly strategic patience. Cutting him now would mean surrendering a recent top-10 pick for nothing at his lowest value. Keeping him allows Minnesota to reassess after Murray’s one-year run, use McCarthy as depth, or revisit a trade later if another club offers value. For now, he is no longer the plan, but he is still part of the contingency planning.

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 30

Minnesota’s initial 53-man roster includes four quarterbacks — starter Kyler Murray, veteran Carson Wentz, J.J. McCarthy and Max Brosmer — an unusual setup heading into the season.
McCarthy’s inclusion eases immediate speculation that the Vikings might move the 23-year-old former first-round pick before the cutdown deadline after a murky week and an ankle injury that kept him out of Friday’s preseason finale.
Brosmer, 25, also held his spot after completing 20 of 35 passes against Denver, reinforcing the team’s belief in the former undrafted free agent despite preseason injuries.
The four-quarterback arrangement may not last, with Minnesota still unsettled behind Murray after McCarthy’s disappointing 2025 season prompted the team to sign him this spring.