Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy is currently facing a very uncertain future with the team. After struggling to stay healthy and failing to prove himself a capable starter when he did play, the team is heading towards bringing in another quarterback.
At this point in time, all signs point towards the Vikings signing former Arizona Cardinals quarterback and No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray.
If Minnesota does finalize a deal for Murray, the move could signal the end of McCarthy’s tenure with the team. There is no guarantee that a deal will get done, but it seems like a very good possibility.
Throughout the course of the 2025 NFL season with the Vikings, McCarthy played in 10 games. He completed 57.6 percent of his pass attempts for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, while also running for 181 yards and scoring four touchdowns on the ground.
With that being said, some troubling statistics have been revealed about McCarthy’s 2025 campaign.
These Statistics Could Doom J.J. McCarthy’s Future With the Vikings
As shared by NFL analyst Warren Sharp on X, McCarthy put together a poor all-around performance last year.
McCarthy finished No. 35 in accuracy, No. 36 in third down conversion rate, No. 35 in EPA/pass, No. 35 in completion rate, No. 36 in sack + interception rate, No. 35 in passer rating, and No. 35 in TD:INT ratio out of 36 quarterbacks.
Needless to say, those numbers would lead most franchises to considering a quarterback change.
Granted, McCarthy was forced to miss his entire rookie season due to a knee injury. He missed out on valuable practice reps, which put him behind the eight ball entering the 2025 season. At the end of the day, Minnesota mishandled the situation by having him start so early.
Perhaps the Vikings could choose to sign Murray and keep McCarthy in town. However, it would be fairly clear that Minnesota would be signing Murray with the intention of starting him in 2026.
What Would Kyler Murray Bring to the Vikings?
Since coming into the NFL back in 2019, Murray has failed to live up to the hype as well. He has dealt with quite a few injury concerns over the years as well.
Last season with the Cardinals, the 28-year-old quarterback played in just five games. Back in 2024, however, he played in all 17 games and completed 68.8 percent of his pass attempts for 3,851 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Murray also picked up 572 yards and scored five touchdowns on the ground in 2024.
Murray is more than capable of being an NFL starter. A change of scenery to playing with Justin Jefferson and for head coach Kevin O’Connell could be exactly what he needs.
It will be interesting to see what the Vikings choose to do this offseason. McCarthy is in danger of losing his job in Minnesota and it could end his tenure with the franchise as well.
Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy Facing Troubling Reality From These Stats