J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
Getty
(Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
The Minnesota Vikings will have a QB battle between J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray to determine the starter for the 2026 season. At least,that’s how the organization is painting this situation. However, not many are buying that this is a competition.
Murray arrived in Minnesota on a one-year contract, but he has plenty of experience as a starting QB during his time with the Arizona Cardinals. As a result, the former No. 1 overall pick is the favorite to win the job.
Moreover, Alec Lewis of The Athletic shared thathe’s spoken with people around the league, and they also believe Murray will be theVikings’ starter. Lewis also painted a brutal reality check for McCarthy and his prospects of winning this battle.
“You talk to people in the league, andthey’re like, it is a little silly,” Lewis said on the March 18 edition of “The Alec Lewis Show.” “There’s a guywho’s played seven years and thrown for 3,500 yards four times, a guy as dynamic as he is, who chose the Minnesota Vikings over other opportunities.You’re not doing that ifyou’re not the starting quarterback.
“It would take something beyond drastic for J.J. to come out and win the job, whichisn’t a referendum on J.J. or where he is. He has shown the high-end flashes.It’s just going to be about consistency, and it will be really interesting to see what he looks like fundamentally.”
Kyler Murray Gets Blunt Outlook for 2026 Season
McCarthy did show promise at the end of the 2025 season, sohe’s looking to carry that momentum into this competition against Murray during training camp and preseason.Nonetheless, on March 16, Kay Adams had a positive outlook on Murray, believing he will edge out McCarthy to be theVikings’ starting QB.
“I do like it more and more and more,”Adams said on “Up & Adams.” “It’s the kind of move that you wanted them to make last year withAaron Rodgers. They took a bit of a swing here, low risk, high reward.
“I knowthere’s plenty we all are demanding to see from the talented Kyler Murray, but the ceiling is,they’re going to blow the roof off this thing.We’ve seen flashes of it.We’re not absolving Kyler of responsibility for the lack of team success during his time in Arizona…
“I’m excited for a bit of a fresh start here, a roster that is built to win. Now, with that comes, and with a Coach of the Year offensive mastermind in KOC as a play caller, as a leader in this league, and a terrifying defense,there’s a lot of pressure. Kyler is not going to fly under the radar on this team.”
Would the Vikings Consider Trading J.J. McCarthy?
Should McCarthy lose the competition, questions will arise about whether the Vikings could consider trading him. On March 13, Vikings reporter for The Athletic, Alec Lewis, shared whether McCarthy could be on the trade block later this year.
“[Trading McCarthy] cannot be completely ruled out,“Lewis wrote in his article. “Two factors matter in the overall calculus: How perturbed are McCarthy and his camp by the Murray signing? And what would other teams offer?
“The Vikings have publicly reiterated their feelings about McCarthy and that they see an advantage in giving him competition. They aren’t completely all in for 2026, evidenced by their measured approach in free agency. But they’re also not punting on a season that must reestablish their standing as formidable foes in the NFC North.”