The Minnesota Vikings will use a QB competition between J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray to determine their starter for the 2026 NFL season. Nonetheless, even with the competition ongoing, many expect Murray to emerge victorious.
Murray is looking to show that he’s still a starting QB despite the Arizona Cardinals cutting ties with him this offseason. Moreover, the former No. 1 pick has also shown that he can be a quality signal-caller when healthy.
While many see Murray emerging victorious, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter isn’t ready to say that McCarthy will disappear and won’t be heard from again this upcoming 2026 NFL season.
“I’m not ready to give up on J.J. McCarthy,” Schefter said on the July 20 edition of “Get Up.” “That’s me. We’ll see. Kevin O’Connell has said there’s no competition. Everybody expects Kyler to win that job. He probably will. But at some point, Tom, I think we’re going to hear something from J.J. McCarthy again. That’s just me.”
Last season with the Vikings, McCarthy had 310 pass snaps, leading to a 61.8 overall PFF grade. He also threw for 1,632 passing yards and 11 touchdowns against 12 interceptions, while recording 19 big-time throws and 15 turnover-worthy plays.
Adam Schefter Could See J.J. McCarthy Bouncing Back
Moreover, Schefter notes that with several QBs in recent years bouncing back from adversity such as Daniel Jones, Sam Darnold, and Baker Mayfield, he finds it hard to imagine that Minnesota is ready to close the McCarthy chapter with such a small sample size.
“He was hurt his first year [and] was hurt last year,“ Schefter added. “The team had flaws. We’re living in a day and age where we see Daniel Jones bounce back. We see Baker Mayfield bounce back. We see Sam Darnold bounce back. And you’re telling me that a guy like Kevin O’Connell is already going to give up?“
Cris Carter on Vikings’ QB Competition Before Training Camp
One of the people who appears to see Murray as the Vikings’ starting QB is former wideout Cris Carter.
In a July 16 appearance on NFL Network, the former Vikings star shared his thoughts on the team’s QB play in recent years, as he appears to be leaning toward Murray over McCarthy to win the job, given that the former Cardinals star could benefit from this change of scenery.
“Kyler Murray is in a situation like a lot of other good players,“ Carter added. “They were good players in other organizations, and then they came to the Vikings. The magic happens when you put those horns on and that purple helmet.
“Now he has everything around him: an offensive line, a running game, and an offensive-minded coach who’s going to put him in the best position to win. He has one of the elite receiving corps in the National Football League, and he’s on a one-year deal. So he’s in a great situation.”
During his time with the Cardinals, Murray posted a passer rating of 92.2 with 20,460 yards, 121 touchdowns and 60 interceptions in 87 games, per StatMuse. It will be up to head coach Kevin O’Connell to find this form of Murray and make it consistent for the Vikings.
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