The Minnesota Vikings quarterback competition is one of the biggest stories of the summer. Ultimately, the job went to Kyler Murray after a long training camp battle with J. J. McCarthy. Now, we are getting a bit of insight into how the competition went down. ESPN’s Kevin Seifert reported this.
Murray was given the starting job in the middle of August. This relegated McCarthy to the backup quarterback spot, where he eventually lost the number two position to Carson Wentz. It was quite the freefall for McCarthy, who was the Vikings starter last season. This is only amplified by the fact that Wentz is projected to start on Sunday if Murray cannot play.
In the meantime, Seifert offered some insight into the competition, and whether there was actually a competition at all.
“Many around him believe his decision to stage a competition between Murray and McCarthy, rather than award the job outright to Murray, was intended in part to ensure buy-in from the locker room via a fair process for upending the most important position on the team.”
This is certainly an interesting, and rather revealing piece of information. Murray ultimately won the starting job, and played a small sample size before he left Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers with a concussion. The quarterback went three-of-five, throwing for 18 yards and an interception and limited action. His status to play on Sunday remains unclear. However, multiple analysts have indicated that he could be in line to do so.
Vikings Brought Murray In For Several Reasons
Murray was brought into the organization to stabilize the quarterback position. At the time, McCarthy struggled with injuries and overall performance. To put it in perspective, McCarthy finished the season with a 35.6 quarterback rating. This ranked 24th out of 26 qualified starters. The team needed to elevate the quarterback position and needed to do so in a hurry.
Additionally, Murray liked Kevin O’Connell’s scheme at the time, as well as the opportunity to work with Justin Jefferson. That, combined with the fact that he grew up a Vikings fan, was enough of a selling point for the veteran. By all accounts, it was a perfect spot for the veteran to reignite his career.
Vikings Have Strong Quarterback Room
If anything, the Vikings quarterback room is extremely strong at the moment. In addition to McCarthy, the strong play of Wentz definitely adds to the room. The Vikings quarterback room itself has a lot of experience.
Murray has 87 starts to his name and was the former first overall selection of the 2019 NFL Draft. Wentz has over 95 starts and was the second overall pick in the 2016 draft. McCarthy has the least amount, with 10 starts in his career. However, there is no denying that this room in its entirety has ample experience.
It is certainly interesting that a report would come out like this, painting the quarterback competition in this light.
It is certainly not unreasonable to think that this was the line of thinking, given that the coaches do not necessarily want to declare a competition over during training camp. This allowed everybody to get a fair shot and the ability to practice and play at a high level. Both quarterbacks were able to hold their proverbial auditions before the team made their decisions at the position. It sounds like it fostered the level of competition more than deceive anybody involved.
Vikings Insider Reveals Bigger Purpose Behind QB Battle: Report