For J.J. McCarthy, this news is pretty deflating for the short term. Here's the bottom line:
Redraft leagues → Don't draft him
McCarthy's odds to win the job sit at roughly 10%, and beat writers have consistently reported the gap between the two quarterbacks "was not close" during spring drills (from the Kyler Murray page). Even with some minicamp improvement, the job is Murray's. A backup QB with no path to starts has zero redraft value.
Dynasty leagues → Hold, but it's messy
McCarthy is just 23 and plays in Kevin O'Connell's elite QB-friendly system — the schematic infrastructure is there. However, NFL insider Jason La Canfora recently reported McCarthy may want out of Minnesota due to personality clashes with Murray, and league sources have flagged maturity concerns behind the scenes (from the J.J. McCarthy page). A trade could actually be the best-case scenario for his value — it would give him a path to starting somewhere.
Expert take
On Fantasy Football Today, they framed it bluntly: regardless of whether it's McCarthy or Murray, there was "no dropback offense to be had" for the Vikings last year — but they expect it'll be Kyler, not McCarthy, under center in 2026. []
TL;DR: McCarthy is a dynasty stash with a murky path — wait to see if a trade materializes, but he's off the redraft radar completely.