The Minnesota Vikings and quarterback J. J. McCarthy may not be parting ways just yet. ESPN insider Adam Schefter reported that the Vikings and McCarthy may be together for at least one more season. He spoke on ESPN’s “Get Up” on Thursday afternoon and laid out the specifics.
McCarthy is currently listed as the third overall quarterback on the Vikings depth chart. This comes as they open the season on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. This is another setback for McCarthy, who has endured quite a bit over the past couple of weeks.
Now, Schefter believes that McCarthy and the Vikings are not necessarily going to part ways this season and that they may need to be stuck with each other a little bit longer. He spoke on Thursday afternoon, as the season opener creeps closer.
“It’s probably best for both sides to spend the year together before they explore a divorce. It’s not an ideal marriage, but they’re kinda stuck with each other for the time being.”
McCarthy Has Had Active Summer For Vikings
McCarthy has had a wild summer. Vikings training camp officially opened on July 22, and McCarthy began a quarterback competition with Kyler Murray. Murray was officially named the starter on August 12, effectively ending the quarterback competition.
From there, McCarthy has played in several preseason games, as well as survived the initial roster cuts. Most recently, head coach Kevin O’Connell indicated that McCarthy would be QB3 on the depth chart as the season opens up on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers.
This report from Schefter undoubtedly makes sense with regard to McCarthy. The quarterback’s trade value is perhaps not the highest at the moment. Between his contract and inconsistent play, it would be a lot for teams to take on. The Athletic’s Alec Lewis pointed this out earlier this offseason, noting that the combination of those two things makes the Michigan product a difficult asset to trade.
Vikings Quarterback Room Has Experience
The Vikings quarterback room is loaded with experience. In addition to Murray, Carson Wentz also brings an element to the room. When you look at the Vikings quarterback room just by the numbers, it is truly experienced. Between Wentz, Murray, and McCarthy, this particular room boasts a ton of talent.
There are 197 career starts between the three quarterbacks. There are 45,718 passing yards between the three as well. Wentz has 23,626 yards, while Murray has 20,460 yards. McCarthy is last with 1,632 yards. This room is very veteran-heavy, something that could be a positive, with this team needing some direction at the quarterback position. The ample experience is certainly unique for the room.
This aspect of experience could also come in handy in case of injury. Wentz missed six games with a torn ACL in 2017 and a back fracture in 2018. Although experienced, this room certainly lacks health. McCarthy has missed 25 games, including his entire rookie season with a torn meniscus. Murray has missed 30 games in his career, including five games this past season with hamstring issues.
It will certainly be interesting to see where McCarthy falls in terms of this room. The Vikings are probably going to have him around for at least one more year. He could have a chance to continue to develop behind two veterans, which may not be a bad thing for the time being. However, it is reasonable to suggest that a fresh start may be the best thing for him as well. It looks like that may have to wait.
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