J.J. McCarthy wants to remain a quarterback on the Minnesota Vikings' roster despite losing the starter's job to free agent veteran Kyler Murray. He described the team's decision to pick the former Arizona Cardinal as "out of my control."
"Obviously, every competitor wants to play," McCarthy told reporters Wednesday. "But moving forward, it's just about continuing to work hard and just staying ready for when my number's called ... This is the place I want to be and I love every single person in this building. I love the state. I love the fanbase. And I'm going to continue to just do whatever I can for this team and this organization."
His attitude was rather subdued compared to the high school bad boy persona he took on when Murray first arrived in Minnesota, likening quarterback meetings to him sitting on one side of the classroom and McCarthy on the other. Murray wound up besting him in the competition and now McCarthy appears to be employing the least combative language possible.
"I couldn't control anything during [the competition]," he said. "I couldn't control anything after. The only thing I could do is focus on that next rep and keep at it."
J.J. McCarthy's team-player mentality won't stop Vikings from shopping his potential
Even if McCarthy wants to be committed to Minnesota, the team is going to do what's best for the team, and that could include flipping the 23-year-old for maximum value. Long-time veteran Carson Wentz is the team's third-stringer and was a useful pinch starter before injuries ended previous seasons for him. Should Murray take full advantage of his one-year "prove it" deal this season, the 29-year-old could earn himself a lucrative extension, which would render McCarthy too good to be a backup but not good enough to steal the starting role back.
The Vikings wouldn't have to make a brash decision like this until the November trade deadline depending on what kind of position the team is in. There will be QB-needy teams by that point in which McCarthy will be a valuable asset who could fetch a decent haul, especially for how young and moldable he still is. There's at least one early-round draft pick that Minnesota could yield from a swap.
Should the Vikings wait to capitalize on next offseason -- given Murray succeeds this year -- teams like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who will lose Baker Mayfield to free agency, may find McCarthy's remaining $12.9 million contract (across two years) a more affordable option than signing an expensive veteran or trading up for a rookie in the 2027 draft. There will be a market for his services. The issue will just be convincing head coach Kevin O'Connell he's got to move on from his favorite player project.
The only hope McCarthy has of O'Connell doubling (really tripling) down on his No. 10 overall pick from 2024 is how the head coach phrased the announcement of Murray earning the starting job. O'Connell said the veteran had "shown enough" and that he was looking forward to "what could be." Translation? Minnesota signed Murray to be the starter, and it would be really embarrassing if McCarthy still ended up under center in Week 1.
There's still a significant chance that Murray, who mutually parted ways with Arizona because he struggled so often in the desert, doesn't deliver for the Vikings like they hope. The team would have to turn to McCarthy, in which case he'd be given what should be his final opportunity to live up to the first-round expectations he was drafted to meet. After that, it's anyone's guess what direction Minnesota goes at the quarterback position.
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