On May 27, J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray addressed reporters as the Minnesota Vikings continue evaluating their quarterback situation ahead of the 2026 season.
A day later, though, McCarthy’s comments began to draw criticism from the national media. Here’s what the third-year quarterback had to say about his relationship with Murray:
“It’s just like two guys in a classroom,” McCarthy said. “He sits on one side, and I sit on the other side. It’s the coaches’ responsibility to teach us and coach us.”
Nonetheless, former Vikings linebacker Ben Leber is defending McCarthy for being honest about how he sees the situation, given that the QB needs that competitive edge to beat Murray.
“I don’t know why everybody’s so shocked,” Leber said in a May 28 appearance on KFAN. “Maybe because we’ve been getting a little more political answers from [McCarthy] lately. But the thing is, it also wasn’t so over the top. It was just, ‘Here’s the facts. He sits on this side of the room. I sit on this side of the room. That’s it. We’re here to compete.’“
Last season, McCarthy played 522 total snaps for the Vikings during a campaign in which he battled injuries and rollercoaster performances. Nonetheless, the signal-caller posted a 61.8 overall PFF grade, throwing for 1,632 passing yards and 11 touchdowns against 12 interceptions.
Moreover, McCarthy recorded 19 big-time throws and 15 turnover-worthy plays. Meanwhile, on the ground, he added 156 scramble yards and four rushing touchdowns.
The Vikings Are Having a QB Competition
Leber also noted that the Murray and McCarthy relationship isn’t one of mentor and mentee; it’s one where both players want to be starting QBs and show they can be at the NFL level.
“He’s not going to lean on Kyler for advice,“ Leber added. “Like, he’s not going to be, ‘Oh, I’m just a little brother to you now.‘ What do you want from him? It’s probably a really tense situation. And you see it all the time. You see it every year in every room. There’s always somebody there who’s brought in to take your job.“
Murray is coming off being cut by the Arizona Cardinals, so he wants to prove that he can still be an impact player with his fresh start in Minnesota. As for McCarthy, the former first-round pick is battling for the Vikings to pick up his fifth-year option and show that he can be their franchise QB.
J.J. McCarthy Shouldn’t Be Happy About the Situation
Leber ended the segment, noting that players aren’t always welcoming when the team brings in someone to take their starting job away.
“Everybody has to deal with it,” Leber said. “He had to deal with it when he was at Michigan. He’s the young kid who comes in, and the starting quarterback knew he was there to take his job, right? So now the roles are flipped.
“So now, is it uncomfortable? Hell yeah, it’s uncomfortable. Does it piss you off? Are you disappointed? Hell yeah. Do you feel like the organization is giving you a giant side-eye right now? Yeah, because they are.”
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