The Minnesota Vikings have incentive to hold onto JJ McCarthy through at least this season, but the former No. 10 overall pick is talking like a quarterback who may try to push his way out of town sooner than later.
Jason LaCanfora of SportsBoom on Friday, May 29 cited multiple league sources who believe McCarthy now wants out of Minnesota based on comments he made regarding fellow signal-caller Kyler Murray, who the team brought in this offseason.
“I think he wants out of there,” a current GM told LaCanfora. “I think he’s wanted out of there since they signed Murray. Those personalities are not going to be a good fit.”
LaCanfora also cited a longtime NFL agent in a piece for Casino Guru News on Thursday who predicted that McCarthy and Murray are going to clash throughout the preseason.
“I don’t think that dynamic between those two would work out very well,” the agent said.
JJ McCarthy’s Comments on Kyler Murray Caused Controversy
GettyMinnesota Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy.
McCarthy spoke with media members earlier this week, and his comments stirred up more than a little controversy.
“It’s just like two guys in a classroom,” McCarthy said of himself and Murray. “He sits on one side, and I sit on the other side. It’s the coaches’ responsibility to teach us and coach us.”
LaCanfora went on to note that McCarthy’s comments confirmed a common sentiment across front offices months ago when Minnesota first added Murray.
“McCarthy, whose confidence was said to be one of his calling cards, seemed uncomfortable and awkward talking about the addition of Murray and gave the aura of someone who would love a change of scenery,” LaCanfora wrote. “NFL execs cautioned at the time Murray was signed that they believed the dynamic between Murray … and McCarthy would be fraught with peril, with McCarthy accustomed to getting all the real reps and attention from [Kevin] O’Connell.”
Vikings Best Served to Keep JJ McCarthy on Roster Through at Least This Season
GettyMinnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray.
The Vikings are best served by keeping McCarthy in-house for several reasons.
First, Murray has a meaningful injury history. If he gets hurt, McCarthy is the best option on a depth chart also populated by Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer.
Second, it is possible Murray won’t be a natural fit in O’Connell’s system and that the transition to him as the starter won’t be smooth. If he struggles, McCarthy again makes the most sense as a QB2 option.
Finally, Murray may end up elsewhere in 2027 whether he plays well or not. He is on a league minimum contract in Minnesota because the Arizona Cardinals are paying him approximately $36 million in 2026, but Murray will be a free agent next spring and won’t be signing for anywhere near the $1.3 million the Vikings are paying him this year.
If Murray struggles, he won’t be worth the money in Minnesota. If he plays well, the team will face a tough decision on paying an injury-prone and undersized QB on the wrong side of 30 big money across a multiyear deal.
Should McCarthy play well at all in 2026 and/or show any kind of improvement/promise, he could be a safety net for the Vikings in 2027, which is the final year of his rookie contract. Minnesota could also exercise a fifth-year option on McCarthy for 2028 and keep him under center on a reasonable, cost-controlled contract through that season.
Not to mention, should the Vikings deal McCarthy now, they would be doing so at the lowest trade-value point of his career and the return would almost certainly be minimal.
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