The Minnesota Vikings say they are having a competition between J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray for the starting quarterback job this summer. But after the first week of offseason team activities (OTAs), it doesn’t seem like there’s much competition going on.
Judging by McCarthy’s comments last week, it creates a tense situation heading into the summer. Recently, SportsBoom's Jason LaCanfora (who also writes for us here at FanSided) was told by an anonymous general manager that it could lead to a trade out of Minnesota.
“I think he wants out of there,” the GM told LaCanfora after McCarthy’s comments last week. “I think he’s wanted out of there since they signed Murray. Those personalities are not going to be a good fit.”
If McCarthy stirs up trouble behind the scenes but performs well during the preseason, it could be the opportunity the Vikings have been waiting for to cut bait and trade McCarthy to another team. But it’s also a temptation they need to resist, given the quarterback issues they’ve had during Kevin O’Connell’s tenure.
Minnesota Vikings must keep J.J. McCarthy as a quality backup in 2026
O’Connell has been tabbed as a quarterback whisperer since being hired by the Vikings in 2022, but he’s not a miracle worker. While he got the most out of Kirk Cousins and revived Sam Darnold’s career during his tenure, he’s posted a record of 39-15 when his primary quarterback is healthy and active. When playing a backup quarterback, the Vikings are 6-10 under O’Connell.
A lot of these numbers are to be expected, as any team will take a hit using their backup quarterback. But it’s fair to point out what O’Connell has been working with.
When Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles tendon in 2023, the Vikings used a combination of Jaren Hall, Joshua Doubs, and Nick Mullens at quarterback.
Hall wasn’t long for the NFL as he recently announced his retirement, and Doubs showed his flaws after an initial surge under O’Connell before he was benched for Mullens. Even Mullens mixed big yardage numbers with a truckload of turnovers, making him a less-than-ideal backup.
While Darnold played the entire 2024 season, the Vikings fell back into the backup quarterback vortex when McCarthy injured his ankle last September.
Carson Wentz played through a significant shoulder injury, but made his most starts since the 2022 season. Max Brosmer was also hailed as the Vikings' “secret” and beat the Detroit Lions on Christmas, but was one of the worst quarterbacks to make a start in the NFL last season.
Looking at those horror stories, it would be understandable if the Vikings wanted a reliable backup, and they may need one, judging by Murray’s injury history.
While dynamic, Murray has been fragile at times, playing a full season just once (2024) in the past five seasons. Even his inconsistent play could be enough for O’Connell to consider a change, and while Wentz is still on the roster, McCarthy may be a better option.
McCarthy wasn’t good for the Vikings last season, but he also knows the offense and posted a 6-4 record as a starter. Even if it’s not perfect, McCarthy could build on that if given the chance this year, and it could be the difference between a playoff appearance and another season with an uninspiring record.
If he performs well, it could also increase his value if the Vikings are done with the former top-10 pick and the feeling is mutual, and give Minnesota a cleaner avenue to part ways next offseason.
Of course, this all changes if McCarthy’s professionalism goes out the window, as it seemed during last week’s interview with the media.
But with the grind of a 17-game season, keeping McCarthy around even if he’s upset might not be a terrible idea as a quality insurance plan the Vikings haven’t had during O’Connell’s tenure.
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