Having two starting quarterbacks on one team tends to cause contentious situations. The Minnesota Vikings are learning that the hard way with J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray.
Both have demonstrated the ability to lead a franchise; however, Murray seems set to start the year under center, and McCarthy isn’t all that happy about it.
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After finishing the 2025 campaign at the bottom of the NFC North while juggling three starting quarterbacks, the Vikings went out this offseason and acquired Murray’s services. The signal-caller’s seven years of NFL experience should ideally provide the team with some stability under center, given McCarthy’s struggles at the position and his injury history.
Murray has proven to be a star with his dual-threat ability, having recorded a 79.4 PFSN QB Impact rating in 2024 while throwing for 3,851 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He’s favored as the better option compared to McCarthy in many fans’ eyes, much to McCarthy’s dissatisfaction.
After recently hinting that he’s unhappy with the idea of having to fight for the starting job, the third-year pro has now opened up on a possible trade away from the Vikings.
“I think I made it very clear I wanted to be here before I got here,” he told the media at practice. “I love this organization, I love the coaching staff, I absolutely love these players to death. This is where I want to be. I feel like I can thrive in this system. Everything played out exactly how I wanted it. I wouldn’t want anything else to change.”
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The 23-year-old is struggling to live up to the heights of his 10th-overall draft position from 2024. After missing his rookie season due to injury, he failed to impress fans in 2025, putting up a 6-4 starting record with 1,632 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 picks before going down with another injury.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell has proven to be a genius with his offensive schemes; however, the team needs a reliable quarterback to execute them to succeed in a competitive NFC North. Despite posting a 9-8 record last season, they still finished at the bottom of a division which featured the 11-6 Chicago Bears.
The 2026 campaign stands to be just as competitive, and the Vikings will want to be ready from the get go. Having a reliable quarterback in Murray under center is a solid start, as the team already has a strong supporting cast of weapons on offense: wide receivers Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jauan Jennings, running back Aaron Jones, and tight end T.J. Hockenson.
Whether McCarthy impresses enough to have Murray on the outside looking in remains to be seen.
