Last season, Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy battled injuries and a roller coaster performance. Despite the 2025 campaign being McCarthy’s first season as a starter, the Vikings decided to give themselves options at QB by signing Kyler Murray and re-signing Carson Wentz.
As a result, if McCarthy does start Week 1 for Minnesota, he will need to earn it by beating out a former No. 1 pick and veteran signal-caller. Ahead of the QB battle to determine the Vikings’ starter, QB guru and former NFL player John Beck shared his advice for McCarthy.
“He’s done a great job this offseason of putting his mind in the right frame and working the right way, focusing on the things he needs to improve,” Beck said on the April 21 edition of “The Rich Eisen Show.” “What J.J. needs to do is just focus on himself. They brought Kyler in, and who knows what’s going to happen?
“It’s going to be a storyline in Minnesota and around the league throughout the offseason, but he should let that be and concentrate on what he can control.
“J.J. takes pride in his mindset and his ability to manage emotions… Now he’s going to step out each day in practice, and he’ll be in a quarterback competition, and maybe they make Kyler the starter. All he’s going to focus on is being the very best J.J. he can be.”
Minnesota Will Truly Have an Open Battle for Starting QB Job
During the 2025 season, McCarthy finished with a 61.8 overall PFF grade, ranking 35th out of 43 qualified quarterbacks. Moreover, the Vikings QB posted a passing grade of 60.1, which was also 35th at the position.
Across 291 dropbacks, he threw for 1,632 yards with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He logged 19 big-time throws alongside 15 turnover-worthy plays. On the ground, McCarthy added 156 scramble yards and four rushing touchdowns, finishing with a 71.6 rushing grade.
While many expect Murray to win the QB battle, Beck believes that Minnesota will allow this to be an open competition, given the amount of money they are paying Murray this season.
“They did not bring in a player and guarantee him $35 million to $40 million, which would have changed that situation,“ Beck added. “There is still expected to be an offseason competition, and what happens behind closed doors in those conversations remains to be seen.
“The focus for J.J. is to avoid getting caught up in any of that. He just needs to take whatever reps he gets in practice and do the best he can each day to improve.
“Good things tend to happen when the focus shifts away from outcomes and toward daily work. Instead of worrying about decisions being made for him, the priority is effort and preparation, allowing performance and natural instincts to take over.”
J.J. McCarthy to Benefit From Vikings QB Battle
On April 20, Vikings wideout Justin Jefferson noted that he’s excited to see the former Cardinals star play and display the traits that make him an impressive talent. Still, the wideout also highlighted that it will benefit McCarthy to lock in and know he has major competition if he wants to win the starting job for Week 1.
“I’m definitely looking for those big, exciting plays,“ Jefferson said. “I’m looking forward to his speed, his quickness, and his arm strength, which he has shown countless times over the years. For J.J., for somebody to enter that room with that type of ability and talent, he has to step it up a little bit.
“It is good for him to feel that type of pressure and really lock in and say it is either now or I’m going to take that back seat again; it is all about a competitive mindset in these types of situations. It comes down to who is ready for that moment and who is ready to step up and take that initiative.”
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