JJ McCarthy's reaction to being named QB3 and a spot opening at Michigan

J.J. McCarthy just got dropped to third string, a stunning fall for a quarterback who was starting for the Vikings a year ago. Head coach Kevin O’Connell announced Carson Wentz will serve as the primary backup behind Kyler Murray for Sunday’s opener against Green Bay, pushing McCarthy down to QB3, with the backup role subject to change week to week. It caps a rough stretch for the 2024 first-round pick — after taking over as the starter last season, McCarthy posted a 61.8 PFF grade across 310 pass snaps, throwing for 1,632 yards with 11 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. He genuinely competed for the starting job through OTAs and part of camp, but ultimately lost out to Murray, and GM Nolan Teasley has stayed notably vague when pressed on McCarthy’s exact standing, at one point simply saying he’s “pleased that he’s part of the present version” of the team without confirming depth chart details. For a former first-round pick with a national championship pedigree at Michigan, watching a journeyman veteran leapfrog him on the depth chart is about as humbling a start to a season as it gets.