The Minnesota Vikings have had a quarterback battle raging during the early portion of NFL training camp. Both Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy have been working to earn the Week 1 starting job.
Immediately following the team’s decision to sign Murray during the offseason, the expectation became that he would be the starter. After McCarthy’s disappointing 2025 season, it was clear that the Vikings needed some help at the position.
Minnesota made a big investment into McCarthy when it drafted him with the No. 10 overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The expectation was that he would end up being the long-term franchise quarterback for the team.
Now, the question becomes, will McCarthy even end up staying on the roster? If he does lose the starting job to Murray, a trade could become an option. There is also a chance that he could lose out on the backup job to veteran signal caller Carson Wentz.
Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy Slapped With Troubling News
According to Vikings insider Matthew Coller of Purple Insider, McCarthy is far from guaranteed to be the backup quarterback.
“That’s really up to J.J. [McCarthy],” Coller said. “I mean if J.J. continues to play in camp the exact same way he has for the first four days then there’s a good chance Carson Wentz will be the backup.”
Coller’s statement comes after a report that Wentz was the lead man with the second team in training camp.
Granted, it’s too early to know what Kevin O’Connell and the Minnesota coaching still will choose to do. However, it does seem likely that the starting job is Murray’s to lose. If McCarthy loses out on the backup job, a move to another team may come next.
Taking a Look at J.J. McCarthy’s 2025 Season
Last season, the 23-year-old quarterback ended up playing in 10 games. He struggled with injury issues throughout the season, which limited him quite a bit.
In the 10 games he did play, McCarthy completed just 57.6 percent of his pass attempts for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He also ran for 181 yards and four more touchdowns.
Those numbers weren’t the worst from a young quarterback ever, but they did nothing to make the Vikings comfortable that he could be a long-term option.
Minnesota has some tough decisions to make. Murray seems to be the front-runner to get the starting job, but McCarthy is still in contention. When O’Connell does make his decision, it will be interesting to see what the future has in store for McCarthy.
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