The Vikings made a bold bet on J.J. McCarthy as their 2025 starter — but questions are already surfacing about the team’s backup plan. With Sam Howell struggling early in training camp, Minnesota’s decision to bypass veteran QBs in free agency is under fresh scrutiny.

Those running the Vikings took somewhat of a gamble when they decided to trust that McCarthy would be ready to win meaningful games in September after he spent his entire rookie season recovering from a meniscus repair.

Here are more takeaways from Day 5 of training camp: After another otherwise solid performance from McCarthy, he ended it on a sour note in the two-minute drill. The offense stepped to the line of scrimmage with 1 minute, 15 seconds left on the clock, trailing 13-10, and ultimately turned the ball over on downs.