With the Vikings signing quarterback Kyler Murray, there’s a vague sense that the starting job in Minnesota is his to lose. Which, if that happens, will mean that J.J. McCarthy has lost his starting job.
Lost in the arrival of Murray is the question of McCarthy’s potential reaction to it. The best response will be to welcome the challenge, embrace the competition, and keep working on getting better.
Still, McCarthy may believe he can’t win the competition. That Murray will be given the job. That McCarthy’s third season in the NFL will be spent on the bench, waiting for Murray to either face-plant or get injured or leave in free agency in 2027, thrusting McCarthy back into the role.
McCarthy eventually will speak to someone, somewhere. And there could be a disconnect between what he says publicly and thinks privately.
Last year, when the Vikings were trying to figure out what to do about their quarterback depth chart, there was a concern that McCarthy would possibly ask to be traded, if Sam Darnold or Daniel Jones returned, or if Aaron Rodgers had been signed. And while McCarthy’s body of work in his first season as QB1 (10 starts, 1,632 yards, 11 touchdown passes, 12 interceptions, passer rating of 72.6) hardly guarantees him anything, he could still be miffed about his situation.
There’s been no discussion of a possible McCarthy trade. There’s been no indication that he wants one, that the Vikings are interested in trading him, or that another team would do a deal. His only chance to be a starter, based on their current depth charts, would be in Arizona or Pittsburgh.
He could, in theory, serve as the bridge quarterback for Fernando Mendoza in Las Vegas, if the Raiders prefer not to throw the presumed No. 1 overall pick into the fray right away. McCarthy’s salary for 2026 is a very affordable $2.78 million.
Murray has been the recent focus in Minnesota. Presumably, it’ll be a fair and open competition between him and McCarthy. If, however, McCarthy believes it’s a formality that Murray will be the Week 1 starter, things could get awkward.
Nothing will happen unless someone wants to trade for McCarthy. Maybe, if/when it’s clear McCarthy won’t be the starter in Minnesota, someone will consider trying to trade for him to be the backup. And McCarthy may decide that he wants a fresh start after two lackluster seasons with the Vikings.
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