Numerous members of the NFL community seem to believe that 2024 first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy has no real future with the Minnesota Vikings after the Vikings named free-agent signing Kyler Murray the team’s Week 1 starting quarterback.
For a piece published on Monday, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated suggested that Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell hasn’t yet given up on McCarthy.
Vikings want “to keep developing” J.J. McCarthy?
“[O’Connell is] going to keep developing McCarthy,” Breer wrote. “What comes next for him isn’t certain, but the young quarterback has handled all this well, and that’ll give him a chance. Now the Vikings can move forward. What happens beyond this year is muddled, with Murray on a one-year deal with a no-tag provision. But that doesn’t really matter. What does is doing right by this year’s team. And that’s what the QB decision was about.”
As Breer referenced, the contract Murray signed to join the Vikings earlier this year prohibits the team from retaining his rights via the franchise tag next offseason. While Murray is on track to enter September as Minnesota’s undisputed starter, he also has a concerning injury history. During what became his final season with the Arizona Cardinals, he made just five starts before he was shut down in December 2025 because of a foot injury.
Meanwhile, the Vikings could elevate veteran Carson Wentz to the QB2 spot on the depth chart if O’Connell and McCarthy agree that a divorce is what’s best for both parties. That said, McCarthy seemingly has little value as a tradable player after he spent his entire rookie season recovering from a full meniscus repair and then failed to impress over 10 starts during his second pro campaign.
Last week, O’Connell insisted that McCarthy is still an “incredibly important member” of the Vikings. Later, Vikings general manager Nolan Teasley said that the team is “going to continue to coach and develop” McCarthy.
Why Vikings didn’t wait to make Kyler Murray, J.J. McCarthy Week 1 decision
Some understandably were surprised that the competition for the Vikings’ starting job didn’t run through at least Minnesota’s preseason opener at the New York Giants this past Saturday. According to Breer, O’Connell and Co. named Murray the starter when they did so that they could “tailor the scheme more aggressively to Murray, and for the other 10 guys in the huddle to get more comfortable in that style of offense.”
“Murray, the thinking goes, should enhance [Minnesota’s] run game in how he’ll stretch the back side of the defense on wide-zone calls and excel in the keeper game,” Breer added. “His legs will also force teams to play zone or spy him, which should only help [wide receiver Justin Jefferson], [receiver Jordan Addison] and [tight end T.J. Hockenson] in the passing game.”
Murray can now spend the rest of August preparing to start Minnesota’s regular-season opener against the rival Green Bay Packers on Sept. 13.
