The Vikings are 3-0 to start the season, but the circumstances surrounding the team’s success have been less than perfect for head coach Kevin O’Connell over the last 24 hours. The Vikings traded former 2024 10th overall pick J.J. McCarthy to the Giants on Monday for a 2027 fifth-round pick.

The move slams the door shut on one of the strangest chapters in Vikings history—one that saw McCarthy experience a season-ending knee injury as a rookie, win NFC Offensive Player of the Week in his first start, battle numerous injuries and fail to find solid footing as an NFL quarterback.

So, how did we get here, and what comes next? It's safe to say O’Connell will face increased scrutiny for his role in how things ended, even as his team remains undefeated to start the year.

How we got here

O’Connell and general manager Nolan Teasley spoke to the media Monday afternoon about the trade, with both emphasizing their disappointment (h/t: Vikings) that the partnership ultimately did not work out, even if both sides need a fresh start.

We have a responsibility to make decisions that we believe are in the best interest of the organization, of the Vikings holistically. Sometimes, those decisions aren’t easy, but you just have to recognize when a different situation or a new opportunity presents itself it has the opportunity to present better outcomes.

The biggest point of interest was a quote by O’Connell that has followed him through McCarthy’s up-and-down career. On a 2024 appearance on the "Rich Eisen Show," O’Connell addressed QB development (h/t: VikingzFanPage):

“I just think, as a whole, there's not enough emphasis put on the organization's role in the development of the position, meaning I believe that organizations fail young quarterbacks before young quarterbacks fail organizations."

Naturally, this quote has been a sticking point over the last two seasons.

To O’Connell’s credit, the rest of the quote carries equal weight: "I do believe there's some times where things just don't work out, and then getting a chance to kinda wipe the slate clean and get a restart while still using your previous experiences to kinda shape how you're gonna work…”

The statement made its way into Monday’s presser, and O’Connell kept a similar tune: 

Sometimes things don’t work out how you envisioned, or how you planned or how you hoped.

But is it really that simple, or is O’Connell due for extra scrutiny in 2026 as his offense continues to struggle? 

Why Kevin O'Connell deserves blame for J.J. McCarthy disaster

The Vikings' offense is off to a brutal start this season, totaling the lowest yards per game in the NFL. Sure, they lost their starting QB shortly into their first game and played a muddy, rainy game in week two, but 238.3 yards per game of total offense, including a league-low 137 passing yards per game, won't keep this team undefeated much longer. 

Neither Kyler Murray nor Carson Wentz appears ready to elevate the passing offense to the heights it reached under Sam Darnold or Kirk Cousins. The Vikings' next three games against the Dolphins, Colts and Saints look to be their best chance to get the offense in sync before their schedule gets much tougher in November. 

It seems unlikely that McCarthy would have elevated the team’s passing game if he were to step in under center, but losing anyone from that room, given the health concerns and inconsistent play at the position, seems less than ideal at the moment. 

O'Connell's role in Vikings' J.J. McCarthy selection

The big task for the team, specifically ownership and Teasley,  is determining just how much of this situation is actually on O’Connell. While former GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah took the brunt of the blame for his late January firing, he certainly didn't select McCarthy entirely on his own. 

Many believed the team’s first choice was now-Patriots QB Drake Maye, and sources confirmed to me that the Vikings were very aggressive in trying to trade up for the former Tar Heel. When that didn't work out, the team ultimately moved up one spot from 11th to 10th overall to select McCarthy.

To be clear, Adofo-Mensah did not force O’Connell into developing a young QB he had no interest in, as the move was part of a detailed draft plan the two had put together. When Maye was no longer an option, the two pivoted. O'Connell even called McCarthy a franchise QB after his first preseason game, another quote brought up in Monday's presser.

It does seem clear that O’Connell wanted McCarthy to sit behind a veteran in 2025 after missing all of 2024 with a knee injury. This seems to be the biggest point of disagreement between him and his former GM, and to O’Connell’ss credit, he appears to have been right. 

What's next?

Teasley now faces the difficult task of working with O’Connell to set the 2026 Vikings up for immediate success while trying to find a long-term answer at QB.

With Murray struggling early on a one-year deal, Wentz playing like the backup he is and McCarthy off to New York, the options in the room don't seem promising right now.

O’Connell’s long-term success and future with the Vikings seem dependent on whether the team can identify its franchise QB between now and next offseason.

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