The Minnesota Vikings signed Kyler Murray to a one-year, $1.3 million deal in March, and the move was designed to create a genuine quarterback competition after J.J. McCarthy went 6-4 in 10 starts last season.
McCarthy also missed seven games due to an ankle sprain, a concussion, and a fractured throwing hand. Based on his first public comments about Murray during OTAs, the 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft doesn’t appear thrilled about the competition, and three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Joe Haden picked up on it immediately.
Joe Haden Reads Between the Lines of J.J. McCarthy’s Comments on Kyler Murray
When asked if there was any awkwardness with Murray being on the team, McCarthy compared it to “the same feeling when you’re in high school, and there’s another person on the other side of the room.”
Haden, speaking with James Harrison on the “Deebo and Joe” podcast, was direct about what McCarthy’s tone indicated.
“That was real blatant like, ‘I see another competitor versus me. I’m in a quarterback competition. I don’t see no vet over here. I’m not trying to learn nothing from him. He may need to come over here and ask me to come look at my notes.’ You know what I’m saying? ‘Because they done got you up out of Arizona, you coming over to my spot trying to take my stuff. You’re competition, this isn’t no big bro little bro situation,'” Haden said. “So I feel like J.J.’s coming with that energy.”
“He’s upset, man,” Haden said about McCarthy. “He wants all of that smoke.”
The consensus around the NFL world was clear after McCarthy’s comments went viral, as many believe this is not how an NFL quarterback should speak, and it could further help the Vikings decide who their quarterback will be.
According to PFSN’s QB Impact Metric, Murray posted an impact score of 75.1 last season, ranking 21st in the league, whereas McCarthy was ranked 37th, with an impact score of 64.3.
As of now, Murray is widely viewed as the favorite to win the starting job. He brings the experience of 87 career regular-season starts, a proven track record as a dual-threat quarterback, and is also well-trained to give the right answers to the media.
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More importantly, he’s stepping into Kevin O’Connell’s offense, the same system that turned Sam Darnold into an MVP candidate before Darnold left and won Super Bowl 60 with Seattle. With Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings, and T.J. Hockenson surrounding him, Murray has the weapons to revive his career and potentially earn a lucrative long-term deal.
McCarthy’s path forward is less certain because if Murray takes the starting job and performs well, the former Michigan standout will face a choice of either accepting a backup role and waiting for his opportunity in Minnesota or pursuing a trade to a franchise willing to give him a fresh start.
