The Minnesota Vikings are going to give JJ McCarthy a chance to keep his starting job this season, or at least so they say, but the early signs are pointing to Kyler Murray besting the third-year player for the QB1 role.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler shared a report on the situation via a Thursday, June 4 edition of “SportsCenter,” during which he explained exactly how things are shaking out in Minnesota as offseason work continues and training camp and the preseason approach.
“I just spoke to some people with the Vikings. They told me that they are leaning into this competition part. It is a true competition between Kyler Murray and JJ McCarthy,” Fowler said. “Minnesota knows that there’s going to be noise around this battle. They’re comfortable letting that play out, even through training camp if they have to.”
However, Fowler went on to say that the strong sentiment around the NFL is that Murray will come out on top.
“A lot of people I’ve spoken to around the league believe that Murray will eventually win this battle,” Fowler continued. “I’ve talked to people there that said Kyler Murray is an alpha. He’s got a presence in the room and on the field — a former Pro Bowler, you feel that. He’s picked up the offense really quickly, so certainly he could have a leg up when this is all said and done.”
Kyler Murray Far More Accomplished, Experienced NFL QB Than JJ McCarthy
GettyMinnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray.
That Murray has a strong edge over McCarthy and is making believers inside the Vikings locker room already isn’t a surprise.
McCarthy played solidly over the final four games of last year after having a couple big moments in earlier road victories against the NFC North Division rival Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions. But he still completed just 57.6 percent of his pass attempts for 11 TDs and 12 INTs across 10 games played (6-4).
All told, McCarthy has missed 24 of a possible 34 regular-season contests during his first two years after the Vikings made him the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 draft.
Plus, the man McCarthy replaced under center last year — Sam Darnold of the Seattle Seahawks — just won the Super Bowl one season after leading Minnesota to a 14-3 record on the strength of a Pro Bowl campaign.
Murray, a former No. 1 overall pick, has accomplished far more in his career than McCarthy. And despite the fact that he has also been injury prone, he’s played much more football than McCarthy — and did so well enough to earn a $230 million contract from the Arizona Cardinals in 2022.
JJ McCarthy’s Game Looks Better on Practice Field This Summer
GettyMinnesota Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy.
Despite McCarthy’s disadvantages — plus the obvious disillusionment of ownership two years into his rookie deal, as evidenced by the franchise’s decision to fire former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah for swinging so big and whiffing so badly on McCarthy in 2024 — it wasn’t all bad news for the young signal-caller Thursday.
“I’m told McCarthy has made some improvements this offseason,” Fowler added during his report. “He’s layering the ball better, throwing with different speeds, so he’s at least making his case.”
Some analysts have described McCarthy using an analogy to a pitcher in baseball who leans almost exclusively on his fastball but doesn’t have any other real options in his repertoire. Based on what Fowler heard, that may have changed.
Thus, even if McCarthy begins the season on the bench, there is no guarantee that Murray won’t struggle or suffer an injury, which could open up an opportunity for a fresh start for McCarthy in Year 3.
JJ McCarthy Gets Bad News as QB Contest With Kyler Murray Plays Out