J.J. McCarthy, 23, will move to a backup quarterback role for the Minnesota Vikings after two professional seasons defined by injuries and limited playing time.
McCarthy, selected 10th overall in the 2024 NFL draft, missed his entire rookie year after surgery to repair a torn meniscus landed him on injured reserve — making him the first first-round quarterback to miss a full rookie season due to injury.
His second season brought more of the same. McCarthy started 10 games, going 6-4 in those starts, but a high ankle sprain in Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons cost him five games. Carson Wentz stepped in at starter during that stretch. McCarthy returned to start four more games before a concussion suffered after a matchup with the Green Bay Packers ended his season again. Over two NFL years, he has been available for nine games.
The contrast with his college career is jarring. McCarthy led Michigan to a 15-0 record and a national championship in 2023, earning Big Ten Quarterback of the Year honors. He finished his Wolverines career with a 27-1 record as a starter — a.964 winning percentage that is the highest in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision history. Michigan won three Big Ten titles and made three College Football Playoff semifinal appearances during his time there.
McCarthy arrived at Ann Arbor as a five-star recruit in the 247Sports composite rankings. He committed to Michigan in May 2019, choosing the Wolverines over 24 other offers, including Ohio State. On the rivalry, he said, "I used to love them. Now I want to kill them."
Born in Evanston, Illinois, on Jan. 20, 2003, McCarthy played high school football at Nazareth Academy — where he went 26-2 and won a state title in 2018 — and later at IMG Academy, where his team went 8-0 and won a national championship. He received a scholarship offer from Iowa State in eighth grade. Growing up, he also played hockey, calling it his first love before choosing to focus on football around his freshman year of high school.
The Vikings invested a top-10 pick in McCarthy, and injuries have repeatedly undercut that bet. His move to a backup role reflects the team's need for a durable starter.
