To the extent the Vikings still have a competition for the backup quarterback spot behind Kyler Murray, J.J. McCarthy won’t get a chance to make a preseason closing argument.
Via Kevin Seifert of ESPN, McCarthy won’t play on Friday night at Denver, due to an ankle injury suffered last Saturday against the Ravens.
McCarthy participated in scaled-down practices on Monday and Tuesday. He didn’t practice on Wednesday.
Per Seifert, it’s not considered to be a long-term injury.
The situation comes two days before all rosters must be reduced to 53. Unless the Vikings plan to keep four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, they may have to choose between McCarthy or Max Brosmer — especially if Carson Wentz cements the spot behind Murray.
Brosmer could potentially clear waivers and join the practice squad. But he could, if waived, be claimed by another team.
McCarthy also could be a candidate for short-term IR, which would keep him off the 53-man roster while he heals.
Then there’s the possibility that the Vikings will simply decide it’s time to end the McCarthy experiment, either by trading him or releasing him. No one truly knows what’s happening behind the scenes; if the Vikings believe the best interests of the team are served by not having McCarthy on the roster, they could become motivated to admit the mistake and move on.
The fact that the Vikings have already moved on from the G.M. who drafted McCarthy makes it easier to be objective about whether it makes sense to keep him on the team. His two preseason performances did little to show that the deficiencies from last year (durability, accuracy, touch) have been resolved.