J.J. McCarthy’s comment about him and Kyler Murray being “two guys in a classroom” echoed in the ears of Minnesota Vikings fans far and wide. However, Kevin O’Connell’s response to Murray’s comments was more telling.
“The interpretation of those comments will be what they are. I would just say, in the room, day to day, the dialogue between those guys, the interactions, have been very professional,” O’Connell said.
“And more than that, it’s been a positive room. I think Carson has a lot to do with that, as the veteran in the room. And I would never discount Josh McCown’s extensive career as a player in those quarterback rooms and how he manages the room and everybody in there.”
Minnesota’s quarterback competition has dominated everyone’s attention during organized team activities and minicamp. It’s hard to focus on Brian O’Neill’s contract situation, what happens to the defense if Harrison Smith retires, or Dillon Bell’s breakout when there’s ambiguity under center.
Nothing else matters if the Vikings don’t get quality quarterback play. That was the primary takeaway from last season. J.J. McCarthy wasn’t ready to start and suffered myriad injuries. As a result, Minnesota started 4-8 and missed the playoffs.
Carson Wentz‘s decision not to slide in London meant his season ended after a painful Week 8 Thursday night game in Los Angeles. That left Max Brosmer, a project quarterback, to fend for himself against the Seattle Seahawks’ defense in Week 13.
The Vikings never want to get there again, where they’re leaning on Brosmer to win in a hostile environment with the season on the line. So, they’ve built insulation. Murray, McCarthy, and Wentz have long injury histories. However, Minnesota would have to go through three quarterbacks before they reach Brosmer.
Still, that’s assuming Murray beats McCarthy out as the starter.
That’s a safe assumption, given Murray is a two-time Pro Bowler who’s in his prime and has made 87 starts in seven seasons. McCarthy will have earned Minnesota’s starting role if he wins the competition.
However, it feels manufactured. Unless you read too much into Murray throwing interceptions while targeting Gavin Bartholomew and Jauan Jennings. Bartholomew is a second-year tight end who missed last season with a back injury. Meanwhile, the Vikings signed Jennings to a one-year deal in the offseason. Murray doesn’t have chemistry with either player.
That leads to a larger point. Perhaps McCarthy can still win the starting job because O’Connell hasn’t declared a starter yet. However, O’Connell has insisted throughout camp that the players are learning the offense and developing. Therefore, it would be unfair for him to declare a winner of the quarterback competition before training camp starts in late July.
Still, let’s assume that Murray wins the job early in camp. If he looks like the clear-cut starter, the Vikings won’t want him splitting first-team reps with McCarthy while he prepares for Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers.
In that case, it’s easy to see how Murray and McCarthy co-exist on the roster. If McCarthy displays mastery of the offense during the competition, he’ll back up Murray while Wentz acts as injury insurance. However, if the Vikings feel Wentz can better run the offense, he’ll back up Murray while they focus on McCarthy’s development in the QB3 role.
That feels like an issue only because the Vikings rushed McCarthy into action last year after his season-ending injury as a rookie. It’s perfectly normal for Minnesota to rely on Wentz, a 10-year veteran who made five starts last season. He knows O’Connell’s system, and moved the ball last year. He also threw mind-boggling interceptions and needs to protect his body.
The Vikings must remain committed to McCarthy’s development, given that they have Murray on a one-year deal. They don’t want to overpay him, and McCarthy is their only potential long-term option if he leaves. Only if the Vikings feel there’s a better developmental quarterback – Anthony Richardson or another young signal-caller who falls out of favor – should they move McCarthy.
However, things get interesting if McCarthy wins the competition. He immediately will feel pressure from fans if he falters, knowing Murray is waiting to take over under center. Murray also will almost certainly leave next season if McCarthy takes over as the starter, creating an odd situation where people will naturally compare McCarthy to Murray and Sam Darnold throughout his career.
Odds are that Murray and McCarthy will have to co-exist on Minnesota’s roster, regardless of who wins the competition. Still, the best-case scenario appears to be Murray starting, with Wentz as the primary backup, and McCarthy in a developmental role. That gives the Vikings a proven starter, a veteran backup, and a hedge against Murray leaving.
Conversely, the setup where J.J. McCarthy is the starter, Kyler Murray backs him up, and Carson Wentz occupies a roster spot as QB3 to provide insulation still feels awkward. However, that may be because the Vikings reasonably assumed McCarthy was unlikely to beat out Murray for the starting position when they signed the former Arizona Cardinals starter.
