There isn't a single person who feels particularly great about the Minnesota Vikings' quarterback situation, even though they added a new piece to the room, and wide receiver Justin Jefferson is there.
The Vikings will have a fierce training camp battle between J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray to determine the starting quarterback. ESPN NFL analyst Mina Kimes wants to see more from the position, especially since Jefferson needs a bounce-back season after a year he couldn't control.
"You know, for me, it's not just about the quarterback. It's about the entire team. Justin Jefferson should never have a season like the one we saw last year. He is one of the, if not the best receiver in football, and he was really limited by quarterback play. To put it in perspective, throwing to Justin Jefferson, J.J. McCarthy had an off-target rate of 28%. That is about twice what Sam Darnold's off-target rate was throwing to Jefferson. And the same with Kirk Cousins. It was mostly not his fault. And frankly, you could see him get frustrated as the season went on. So if Kyler Murray brings even average quarterback play, which I think he is capable of, whether or not that ceiling looks more like it did in 2020 has to do with a variety of factors, including his deep ball coming back. To me, that's a massive upgrade. And it's so important for this group of talented wide receivers to play with a competent quarterback."
The Minnesota Vikings QBs need to get the ball in Justin Jefferson's hands accurately
A clear sign of struggles with quarterback play is McCarthy's 57.6% completion percentage last year. Now, it wasn't entirely on him, as the offensive line struggled to stay healthy and the Vikings' running game ranked in the bottom 10. At the same time, McCarthy struggled with hitting his receivers in stride, with many missed throws throughout the year.
The good news is that Murray hasn't had a season with a completion percentage under 64%. His career low is 64.4%, set in his rookie season in 2019, and he has had at least a 68% completion percentage in each of the last two years.
There shouldn't be a scenario in which Jefferson only gets 1,048 yards in a season that includes all 17 games. That's more of an indication that McCarthy and company are not getting him the ball or looking for him downfield.
McCarthy lacks the arm strength or downfield accuracy to fully utilize Jefferson. He has been more of an intermediate five-to-seven-yard completions and getting the easy completions.
Everyone can make their own jokes about Murray's 5-foot-10 height, but if given the time of day, he can throw a pretty deep ball. A lot of times, he can use his legs to run out of the pocket and give receivers time to get open, which could be a major advantage for letting Jefferson create that separation and make a big play out of nothing.
It certainly feels like Murray will be the Vikings' Day 1 starter, but a lot can change in the next month. No matter who the quarterback ends up being, they'd better get the ball to Jefferson in 2026, or else next offseason could bring some awkward conversations.
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