J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
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J.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings looks on against the Atlanta Falcons during the first quarter in the game at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 14, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
The future of Minnesota Vikings young quarterback J.J. McCarthy has been called into question a lot following the team’s move to sign Kyler Murray.
After entering the 2025 NFL season as the clear-cut starter for the Vikings, McCarthy went on to have a rough all-around season. He dealt with multiple injury issues, playing in only 10 games. When he was on the field, he struggled quite a bit at times.
When all was said and done, McCarthy played in 10 games. He completed 57.6 percent of his pass attempts for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, while also running for 181 yards and four more scores.
Following the move to sign Murray, it has been suggested that Minnesota could move on and trade McCarthy. While that could still be a possibility, that speculation has taken a new turn following a new update from ESPN.
ESPN Shares New Update on the Vikings & J.J. McCarthy
In a new column on March 16, ESPN’s Dan Graziano revealed that the Vikings are not done with McCarthy. They’re actually hoping that Murray can help the young signal caller turn things around.
“Murray is very likely to end up starting ahead of McCarthy, unless a light comes on this offseason and McCarthy performs well enough in the summer to beat him out,” Graziano wrote. “But the Vikings aren’t ready to give up on McCarthy just yet, and they’re hoping Murray’s arrival has a positive impact on him.”
Truthfully, giving up on a 23-year-old quarterback who the team spent the No. 10 overall pick on back in the 2024 NFL Draft would be a mistake. He has only played in one season after missing his entire rookie year due to a knee injury.
Granted, there are legitimate reasons to be concerned about McCarthy’s future. There is also a chance that Minnesota could decided to move on in the near future.
That being said, giving McCarthy a chance to learn from the sideline behind Murray would make the most sense. After the 2026 season, he could be ready to step back into the starting role.
What Does Kyler Murray Bring to the Vikings?
At the end of the day, there is also a chance that the 28-year-old Murray could win the starting job and prove that he should be the long-term starter for the Vikings.
Murray, the No. 1 overall pick back in the 2019 NFL Draft, has shown flashes of superstar potential. He never quite lived up to the hype with the Arizona Cardinals and he also dealt with injury struggles of his own, but the talent is there for him to be special.
Throughout his seven-year NFL career, Murray has played in 87 games. He has completed 67.1 percent of his career pass attempts for 20,460 yards, 121 touchdowns, and 60 interceptions, while also racking up 3,193 yards and 32 touchdowns on the ground.
McCarthy is facing an uphill battle in this situation. Minnesota signing Murray could be the beginning of the end of his tenure with the team.
Anything is possible at this point in time. The Vikings may or may not move on from McCarthy, but Graziano’s report is suggesting that they could keep him around for the 2026 season at least.