The future of J.J. McCarthy is a topic of conversation should he lose the Minnesota Vikings QB competition to Kyler Murray. Many expect Murray to win the battle, and some believe that the former No. 1 pick has already won the starting job.
As a result, the question will be whether McCarthy is QB2 and waits for his opportunity, or whether the Vikings feel it’s best to give him a fresh start elsewhere, knowing they have Carson Wentz on their depth chart.
With many assuming that Murray will be the starting QB come Week 1, Wynston Wilcox of FanSided floated a trade pitch that would send McCarthy to the Arizona Cardinals for a fresh start, with the Vikings receiving a 2027 fifth-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick.
“The writing is on the wall; Kyler Murray is the new quarterback in town, and the Minnesota Vikings even brought Carson Wentz back too,” Wilcox wrote in a June 20 article.
“That should tell J.J. McCarthy everything he needs to know about his job security in Minnesota. The only good thing about McCarthy staying in Minnesota for now is that both Murray and Wentz are injury-prone; outside of that, he’s as good as traded already.”
Do the Cardinals Make Sense for J.J. McCarthy?
Moreover, Wilcox explains why McCarthy going to the Cardinals makes sense, given their QB situation, which would allow the former first-round pick not just a fresh start but an opportunity to be a starter.
“I feel like only the New York Jets would be foolish enough to take a crazy gamble on a quarterback like McCarthy, but the Cardinals also make sense for a couple of reasons,” Wilcox added. “For one, if Jacoby Brissett doesn’t get his contract situation resolved, Arizona could use this as an opportunity to find another young passer to try and develop.
“The Cardinals have a lot of holes to patch on this team, and wasting a high pick on a quarterback is a risk that isn’t necessarily worth it in my opinion. That’s why they ultimately get away with a fifth-round and seventh-round pick here.”
Joe Thomas Already Has Kyler Murray as Vikings’ QB1
One former NFL player who believes that Murray has already won the QB competition in Minnesota is former Cleveland Browns offensive lineman Joe Thomas. On the June 19 appearance on the “Rich Eisen Show,” Thomas stated that the Vikings already know that Murray is the starter and McCarthy is their backup.
“The Vikings spent a first-round draft choice on J.J. McCarthy, the quarterback,” Thomas said. “They were going to give him every opportunity to win that starting job. You basically give the starting job to that rookie quarterback when you take him in the first round.
“When you go out and get somebody and spend the type of resources they did to bring in Kyler Murray, he is your starter. You’re doing that because the important receivers and players you’re counting on to make plays provided by the quarterback are the guys that don’t trust J.J., and that’s why you make the switch.
“If you look at that situation, J.J., I think, will firmly be planted as the backup. That’s not to say he doesn’t have a chance to continue to develop and win the job at some point down the line. But right now, it’s clearly Kyler Murray’s job.”
Cardinals, Vikings Get Compelling Trade Pitch Involving J.J. McCarthy