When the Minnesota Vikings report to training camp in a few weeks, all eyes will be on the quarterback battle between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy.
While Murray is considered the heavy favorite after signing in free agency, McCarthy will likely be motivated to keep his spot, which is something his former teammate Adam Thielen talked about during a recent appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
“From an outsider perspective, it’s really exciting.
...I think No. 1, it’s a win-win for Minnesota. They’re not paying [Murray] anything.
...So if it doesn’t work out, so be it. Like you’re back to square one anyways.
No. 2, it’s a win-win because it gives J.J. perspective. It gives him competition; that gives him another guy, that’s a veteran guy, that’s a quality starter in this league who’s proved it, to go compete with. And the keys aren’t just gonna be handed to him, which I think is a great thing for everyone.”
Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy could follow Adam Thielen’s path to stardom
Many believe that Murray’s signing was a death sentence for McCarthy after a tough first year as a starter. But to Thielen’s point, it could be what gets his career in motion.
When Thielen was making his way up from practice squad player to Pro Bowl receiver, the Vikings chose Laquon Treadwell in the first round of the 2016 draft.
The selection helped motivate Thielen to overtake Treadwell on the depth chart and helped him begin a dominant stretch where he ranked fourth in receptions (204), sixth receiving yards (2,649) and 15th in touchdowns between the 2017 and 2018 seasons.
“I think I can look back at my career every time there was that competition put out there, or they drafted [a receiver in the] first round; it amped up my game.
So, I’m really excited about what that’s gonna do for J.J., because I love J.J.
He’s a phenomenal dude. He’s a hard worker. He’s got that dawg in him. He’s a competitor. He’s got all the intangibles to be really successful in this league.
So I'm really excited about what this does to his game.”
Thielen went on to praise Murray, calling him “an exciting player” and that “the sky’s the limit for him” if he can become a leader in the Vikings’ locker room. But McCarthy still might be the Vikings’ best long-term play.
McCarthy was the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and head coach Kevin O’Connell declared him the Vikings’ franchise quarterback after he tore his meniscus in August 2024.
The faith continued last offseason when the Vikings turned down Aaron Rodgers’s overtures and made McCarthy the starter last season, but things fell apart in a variety of ways as McCarthy completed 57.6 percent of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
That turbulence led them to sign Murray, and the majority of the fan base and several analysts believe he’ll be the starter for the Week 1 showdown against the Green Bay Packers.
But McCarthy showed some signs of improvement during OTAs and could make things interesting if he continues that momentum into training camp.
In addition, Murray’s injury history – which has seen him play a full season just once since 2020 – could give McCarthy the opportunity to get his job back, which makes this competition even more important.
This could all just be Thielen giving praise to his former teammate and workout partner. But it also shows that McCarthy could follow his path to stardom and perhaps a massive rebound season for the Vikings in 2026.
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