The Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback carousel just spun again. With Carson Wentz officially done for the season after tearing his labrum and fracturing his shoulder socket, the spotlight swings back to JJ McCarthy. Now, Kevin O’Connell has made it official. McCarthy is the guy.

The Vikings’ head coach confirmed the move, saying the young quarterback is “in a really good place from a health standpoint.” That’s the good news. The bad news? Rookie Max Brosmer is the only backup on the roster. Not exactly a comforting setup for a franchise that’s poured resources into building its quarterback room. So, naturally, the Purple are looking toward the trade market.

According to insider Adam Schefter, “The Vikings did not want to head into this season without an experienced veteran backup quarterback, which is why — when they traded Sam Howell to the Eagles — they already had a deal lined up with veteran Carson Wentz, who underwent season-ending shoulder surgery last week.”

If that was their thought process, then Schefter believes it still stands. The Vikings still need an experienced veteran behind McCarthy.

“Kirk Cousins would make sense, but the Falcons haven’t shown any willingness to trade him, and Atlanta needs an experienced veteran backup of its own. The Giants also have two experienced backups in Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston.”

Those names make sense on paper, but pulling off a deal mid-season isn’t exactly easy, especially with multiple teams needing quarterback depth.

Interestingly, ESPN’s Benjamin Solak took the idea a step further. He floated the possibility of a trade for Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson. Whether that happens or not, one thing’s clear. Kevin O’Connell’s next decision could define the Vikings’ season.

And as McCarthy takes back the reins, he’s already received a strong warning.

Analyst is not sold out on JJ McCarthy as QB1

J.J. McCarthy is getting another shot when the Minnesota Vikings face the Detroit Lions. In his first two outings, he looked uneven. Completing 58.5 percent of his passes for 301 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions wasn’t exactly what The Purple expected. He did add 50 rushing yards and a score, showing flashes of mobility. Now this week, Kevin O’Connell is putting his trust back in him.

However, not everyone is buying into that optimism. The Ringer’s Danny Heifetz didn’t hold back when asked about McCarthy’s return.

“The Vikings, to this point in the season, had the easiest schedule in the NFL. The Vikings going forward have the hardest schedule in the NFL. So McCarthy comes back, he’s gonna get rocked. He’s clearly not ready for the NFL, and the Vikings are a win-now team.”

Still, Week 9 gives him a shot to flip the narrative. Beating Detroit wouldn’t just boost Minnesota; it would give McCarthy confidence when he needs it most. Yet Heifetz still expects McCarthy to struggle this season and doesn’t see that changing in 2026 either.

“The timelines are totally mismanaged. He’s not gonna play well. And if he doesn’t, the whole offseason is gonna be, ‘What do the Vikings do? You gonna go with just J.J. McCarthy again? They had Daniel Jones last year, let him go. They had Sam Darnold, they let him go. [McCarthy] has more pressure on him than any quarterback going into next year.”

Now, it’s up to McCarthy to silence that noise and show the Purple Faithful he can be their guy for the long haul.