Analyst suggest J.J. McCarthy is 'cooked' after Kyler Murray signing
· Yahoo Sports
The Minnesota Vikings signed Kyler Murray, appearing to signal that J.J. McCarthy's future with the team is in jeopardy.
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McCarthy struggled in 2025, completing only 57.6% of his passes with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Minnesota's passing offense ranked 29th in the league, failing to consistently get weapons such as Justin Jefferson the ball. Signing Murray to a one-year, $1.3 million deal in the early stages of free agency suggested the Vikings don't want to risk a repeat of the catastrophic 2025 season.
However, the quarterback competition may not be a foregone conclusion, says Alex Kay of Bleacher Report. Kay argued that saying, "J.J. McCarthy is cooked after [the] Kyler Murray signing" is an overreaction.
"Although head coach Kevin O'Connell reportedly told Murray that he could envision the QB as a "potential longer-range answer", the Vikings aren't going to simply hand the job to the seven-year veteran. . .Minnesota invested the No. 10 overall pick into McCarthy just two years ago and shouldn't be ready to give up on the 23-year-old just yet. He's flashed special talent—including during an epic fourth-quarter comeback in the 2025 opener—at times and should get every opportunity to rehabilitate his flailing career. It's also worth noting that Murray hasn't been great in recent years either. He's suffered with injuries and poor play of his own, culminating in what appeared to be a 'soft benching' following a foot issue early in the 2025 campaign."
However, one day after Kay wrote this, the Vikings signed Carson Wentz. It's my opinion that the real competition at quarterback is between McCarthy and Wentz for QB2. Sure, Murray won't be handed the starting job, but that would require a massive leap in development from McCarthy and a very poor offseason from Murray.
If Murray proves competent, it will be hard to envision a scenario where McCarthy starts Week 1. That doesn't mean McCarthy can't sit, learn, and develop behind Murray. But it does mean the 2026 season could look very different for the 10th pick in the 2024 draft.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Analyst critical of J.J. McCarthy after the team signs Kyler Murray