Report reveals Kevin O’Connell’s stance toward JJ McCarthy

JJ McCarthy remains with the Minnesota Vikings, and he still has at least one believer within the organization despite his struggles.

Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell “wants to keep working with” McCarthy, according to Albert Breer of The MMQB. That is despite speculation that the team considered cutting McCarthy and leaving him off their 53-man roster.

McCarthy is a former top-10 pick, and it would have been a very bold move to get rid of him after just two NFL seasons. Some projected that he would miss the roster, but that never made sense, and the Vikings have invested enough in him that they might as well keep trying to get something out of him.

On the other hand, McCarthy has looked downright hopeless at times. He took significant heat for uncorking one of the worst throws of the entire preseason during one of the team’s games.

Over 10 total starts in 2025, McCarthy threw for just 1,632 yards with 11 touchdowns to an ugly 12 interceptions (also missing time due to ankle, hand, and concussion issues).