If Kyler Murray was expected to be handed the starting reins for the Minnesota Vikings after two unfortunate years for JJ McCarthy, that won’t be the case.
Minnesota will host a good, old-fashioned quarterback battle between McCarthy and Murray this season, according to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero.
“They’re envisioning this as a true contest: Kyler Murray vs. JJ McCarthy,” Pelissero said on The Rich Eisen Show. “And both of those guys are going to go into this believing that they’re going to do this job. I honestly don’t know how friendly the team room is going to be. It’s going to be a very competitive team room.
“From everything I understand, it’s really open, they’re open-minded as a coaching staff.”
McCarthy’s struggled in his two years in the NFL since the Vikings selected him 10th overall in the already celebrated 2024 NFL Draft. Some of his struggles have been self-inflicted (12 interceptions in 10 games), while others have been the result of injuries, as he missed his entire rookie campaign with a knee injury and battled multiple injuries in his sophomore season.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell called for more depth and competition in the QB room in January, but interim manager Rob Brzezinski said in February that the club would “explore every opportunity” at QB after the season.
This opportunity came when Murray was released by the Arizona Cardinals. He quickly signed a minimum contract with the Vikings in the league.
A two-time Pro Bowler with seven seasons of NFL experience, Murray was likely viewed by many as an undrafted starter.
Per Pelissero, however, the Vikings jury is still out on the most important starter on the roster.