Even though it still seems tilted in favor of one guy, the Minnesota Vikings are going to extend their quarterback competition into the early part of training camp. Of course, the earlier Kyler Murray or J.J McCarthy is named the starter, the better for the other 10 offensive starters, so everyone can be in tune by Week 1.
The odds seem to be against McCarthy winning the starting job. It's safe to assume Murray was told he'd be the starter back in March, or he would not have signed. So McCarthy has to clearly show himself as the better option, or he'll be the backup, and the idea that he may ask for a trade will resurface.
In a rekindling of his weekly in-season "overreaction" or "not an overreaction" column, based on what happened during the offseason, ESPN's Dan Graziano offered "J.J. McCarthy has started his last game for the Vikings" as something to consider for one of those labels.
An analyst offers optimism (however cautious) for Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy
After outlining the well-known circumstances of McCarthy's first two seasons and the idea that Murray is regarded as the favorite to be the starter, Graziano tabbed McCarthy as having already started his last game for the Vikings as an overreaction.
"McCarthy could prove to be the better option in camp. If that happens, the players on the roster will see that and buy into the decision. You could make the case that the best outcome for the Vikings is for McCarthy to win the job and become the player they thought he could be when they moved up to draft him. But even if that doesn't happen in camp, Murray is far from a perfect solution, which is why the Cardinals are paying him $36 million this year to play for someone else."
"If McCarthy reacts to being thrust into a competition the way the Vikings hope he does, he could end up starting games for them this season. He's also under contract for 2026, whereas Murray is not (and Murray's contract includes a no-franchise tag provision). Sure, it's possible Murray thrives in O'Connell's offense while McCarthy crumbles. But either outcome is far from a sure thing. There's a long way to go before the start of the 2026 season, let alone the end of it. And on some level at least, the Vikings hope there's still a long way to go in McCarthy's NFL story."
Murray has missed at least six games in three of the last four seasons. A torn ACL late in the 2022 season, of course, cost him the early part of the following season. A foot injury sidelined him for the final 12 games last season, but it seems the Cardinals shut him down rather than risk complicating their path to parting ways with him this offseason.
It's definitely possible, one way or another, McCarthy starts multiple games for the Vikings this season. It's also worth noting, and Graziano mentioned it, that he is under contract for 2027 while Murray is not.
The careers of plenty of notable NFL quarterbacks would never have gotten off the ground if they were completely written off after 10 starts. So McCarthy shouldn't be written off just yet.
The big question is, if he eventually finds his way and becomes a long-term NFL starting quarterback, does he do so in a Vikings uniform?
The idea McCarthy has already made his last start in Purple sits exactly where it should in June, and as things currently are. Which is to say, easily on the side of unlikely and as an overreaction.
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