J.J. McCarthy has had a tumultuous start to his NFL career. The 10th overall pick in the NFL Draft missed the entirety of his rookie season due to a knee injury, and struggled mightily in year two, causing many to doubt his future as a franchise quarterback.
The Minnesota Vikings brought in two-time Pro Bowler Kyler Murray in the offseason to compete for the starting quarterback job, leading many to believe it’s already Murray’s job and that McCarthy’s days in Minnesota may soon be numbered. However, NFL insider Adam Schefter believes that is not the case and encourages people to pump the brakes before writing off McCarthy.
Adam Schefter Doesn’t Believe that The NFL Has Heard the Last of J.J. McCarthy
“I know everybody is anointing Kyler, I’m not ready to just give up on J.J. McCarthy,” Schefter said of the Vikings quarterback competition on ESPN’s “Get Up.”
“Kevin O’Connell has said it’s an open competition,” Schefter added. “Everybody expects Kyler to win that job; he probably will. But at some point in time, I think we’re going to hear something from J.J. McCarthy again. That’s just me, we’ll see.”
McCarthy has only played in 10 games through two seasons as the Vikings quarterback and has struggled to the tune of a 57.6% completion percentage, 1,632 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, while taking 27 sacks. He ranked as the No. 34 quarterback in PFN’s Quarterback Impact Metric (QBi).
However, despite all that, he is still only 23 years old, has won at the highest level in college, and has the pedigree that led to his selection in the top 10 of the NFL Draft. Despite struggling in the NFL, he led Minnesota to a 6-4 record in his starts and has shown flashes of athleticism, including 181 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns, that could make him dangerous if he can figure it out as a passer.
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Meanwhile, Murray has shown much more at the NFL level, making two Pro Bowls and winning Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2019, but has struggled in his own right over the past two seasons. There are legitimate questions about his leadership, and for a player who relies on his athleticism, his age and injury history raise concerns about whether he can return to the player he once was.
While Schefter acknowledged that Murray should be the favorite given his track record, he believes too many people are writing off McCarthy entirely, which should not be the case.
“He was hurt his first year, he was hurt last year, the team had flaws,” Schefter added. “We’re living in a day and age where we see Daniel Jones bounce back, where we see Baker Mayfield bounce back, where we see Sam Darnold bounce back. And you’re telling me that a guy like Kevin O’Connell is already going to give up?”
Despite poor play from McCarthy and a myriad of other things going wrong for them in 2025, the Minnesota Vikings finished with a 9-8 record, in third place in the ultra-competitive NFC North, where every team had a record over .500. If Minnesota can get competent quarterback play in 2026, they can be a legitimate contender in the NFC.
The quarterback competition between Murray and McCarthy has been a major talking point all offseason. It is expected to be one of the most important storylines throughout training camp and the preseason.
