Sports

JJ Watt Gives Convenient Excuse For Seemingly Leaking Minnesota Vikings Depth Chart

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On the left, J.J. McCarthy #9 and Carson Wentz #11 of the Minnesota Vikings look on from the sideline against the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth quarter of the game at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 14, 2025. On the right, JJ Watt talks to media before Burnley's friendly against FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium.

Getty Image / James Weber/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On the left, J.J. McCarthy #9 and Carson Wentz #11 of the Minnesota Vikings look on from the sideline against the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth quarter of the game at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 14, 2025. On the right, JJ Watt talks to media before Burnley's friendly against FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium.


Entering the preseason, all the talk surrounding the Minnesota Vikings involved the competiton for the starting quarterback job between JJ McCarthy and Kyler Murray.

It didn’t take long for head coach Kevin O’Connell to name Murray the starter, and pretty soon, questions arose as to whether McCarthy would even be the backup, or if he’d lose that job to Carson Wentz.

Now, thanks to future Hall of Famer turned broadcaster JJ Watt, we may well have our answer. Although Watt claims otherwise.

JJ Watt Appeared To Have Leaked The Minnesota Vikings Depth Chart

After retiring from his playing career, Watt shifted into a commentary roll calling games for CBS Sports. With the recent arrest of Tony Romo for DUI, Watt stepped into the No. 1 color commentary spot for CBS, meaning he’ll call the Week 1 game between NFC North rivals Green Bay and Minnesota.

“Haven’t said much because it’s not the circumstances you’d hope it would happen under, but I’m incredibly excited about this opportunity and look forward to working with a legendary team in Jim Nantz, Tracy Wolfson, Jim Rikhoff and the entire CBS lead crew. See you in Minnesota!” Watt said of the opportunity.

But he may have already made a rookie mistake. In a post on X sharing his anticipation for the game, Watt shared what appeared to be depth charts for both teams.

Notably, on the charts, Wentz was shown as the Vikings’ backup quarterback behind Murray, while McCarthy wasn’t on the sheet at all.

The Depth Charts May Not Be Accurate

While fans immediately took that news and ran with it, suggesting that McCarthy could soon be traded to a new team, Watt says that they’re not actually onto something.

“Because this depth chart is currently just a placeholder until we get some real information next week,” Watt said when asked about McCarthy’s lack of a spot. “He didn’t play in the final preseason game, which is around the time I was putting this together, so I slotted Wentz in there. This will all change by gameday.”

That seems logical. You can only go off of the information you have. But he also didn’t have Max Brosmer, who did play in the final preseason game, on the chart.

Then you factor in Ben Goessling of the Minnesota Star Tribune reporting that McCarthy held himself out of the team’s final preseason game.

“Friday, (we) find out before the game he’s not going to go and that, it was clear from the people I talked to, it was him not being comfortable playing the game,” Goessling said on the Access Vikings podcast. “It was not the team saying, ‘No, we don’t think you’re ready to go.’ It was him saying, ‘I’m not comfortable doing it.'”

Perhaps McCarthy has a future with the Vikings. But that sure doesn’t sound like a player who wants to stay in Minnesota. And Watt may well know something that we don’t.