The Green Bay Packers understand how tough the NFC North is, which emphasizes every single game. Division matchups are much more important, but seeing your rival struggle in any way adds another level of interest in the offseason.
The Minnesota Vikings have made additions to their quarterback room, featuring Kyler Murray joining them in free agency. It looks like Murray will end up being the QB1, though, putting McCarthy's place on the roster up in the air.
Sports Illustrated's Connor Orr released an article with 100 of his predictions for the 2026 season. In that piece, he stated that McCarthy will start fewer games than Carson Wentz.
"All three Vikings quarterbacks—Wentz, McCarthy and Kyler Murray—will play at some point this season. Murray will get the lion’s share of snaps while Wentz steps in during a critical two-game late-season stretch to keep Minnesota’s playoff hopes alive."
While these comments are certainly just a prediction, if that were to come through, it would give the Packers another reason to laugh at their rival. And with it being around a first-round pick, it only adds reason to chuckle.
Packers would love to see this J.J. McCarthy projection happen
The fact that Minnesota decided to sign Murray shows how they felt about McCarthy going into the 2026 season. After missing his entire rookie season due to a meniscus tear, the Michigan product was given a chance to be the franchise quarterback for the Vikings in 2025, but he dropped the ball.
In 10 games, he completed 57 percent of his throws for 1,632 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. McCarthy struggled immensely, and Minnesota didn't believe he was the unquestioned starter. But if he can't even beat out Wentz to be QB2, his time with the Vikings will be over.
It was just in 2024 that they selected him with the 10th overall pick. They thought they were getting their quarterback for the long haul, but that dream appears to have already gone up in smoke. From that same draft class, Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and Bo Nix all look like franchise quarterbacks and were selected in the first round, too.
Minnesota looks like the only team to strike out, and that has to be great from the Packers' point of view. Seeing your rival effectively whiff on a high draft is a beautiful sight and puts them in a difficult spot. Even though they have Murray in the fold, if McCarthy plays less than Wentz, it would show that they waived the white flag on McCarthy. And that would be a reason to celebrate and laugh for fans in Green Bay.
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