Without even typing out the quote or pulling up the video, Minnesota Vikings fans know full well what J.J. McCarthy recently said about his relationship with Kyler Murray. But it was more than just the comments that McCarthy made; it was how starkly different they were from Murray's about him.
And everyone slips up sometimes when speaking to the media. This is a 23-year-old kid who lives under a microscope and has been embroiled in drama and high expectations since his arrival in the North. But former NFL quarterback Ben DiNucci called out McCarthy for his latest antics.
"JJ this is the NFL brother.
This type of attitude doesn’t fly at the QB position
You have too many people watching how you talk / act."
Ben DiNucci scolds Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy for recent comments
Now, it's not like DiNucci has had an illustrious NFL career. But he played for five seasons on five teams and survived in this league because coaches didn't need to worry about him being a distraction as a backup. McCarthy is getting dangerously close to that label reaching him, however.
Things certainly haven't been easy for the Michigan product early in his professional career, as injuries have hurt any momentum that he's gained, and he is constantly looking over his shoulder and waiting for Kevin O'Connell to bring in his latest veteran quarterback revival project.
Nobody was expecting McCarthy to gush over Murray, who was brought into the building to, at the very least, compete with him for the starting job. After all, Murray is a threat to both McCarthy's future with the organization and his eventual NFL livelihood.
But Murray showed the maturity that a team expects from the face of the franchise when he praised McCarthy and told reporters that he wanted to be a resource for him. McCarthy gave his doubters and those who question his ability to lead an organization plenty of fodder to fill themselves with.
This quarterback battle was already interesting for Vikings fans, and it is a big year for the organization overall. O'Connell just signed his extension, but Minnesota still needs a general manager, and the NFC North isn't making it any easier for them to keep their head above the water.
DiNucci was unfortunately right to call out McCarthy for these comments. The young quarterback would have been much better off keeping things cordial and simply saying something unremarkable, even if it wasn't his truth or he left a lot unsaid.
As a potential leader of this team, you just can't act like those in your position room are "classmates that you don't interact with." You have to be the ultimate unifier and rise above the media storm, not fuel it.
His failure to do so, however, has landed him in hot water and calls into question whether he's capable of leading this franchise in every facet. DiNucci wasn't the first and won't be the last to scold him for his words and actions, but he is the latest and said it incredibly well.
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