The Minnesota Vikings entered the season with J.J. McCarthy as their starting quarterback. However, Kyler Murray was released by the Arizona Cardinals and quickly became available.
So far, McCarthy has not seemed thrilled with the situation, especially now that there is another quarterback capable of taking his starting job. McCarthy made some interesting comments when asked about the quarterback competition with Murray.
“It’s just like two guys in a classroom. He sits on one side and I sit on the other side. It’s the coaches’ responsibility to teach us and coach us,” McCarthy said.
While McCarthy's handling of the situation has been somewhat unusual, he also has not necessarily backed it up on the field. At this point, Murray appears to be performing better.
“Murray made all of the best throws of the practice, demonstrating his downfield touch and accuracy," ESPN’s Kevin Seifert wrote. "Nothing McCarthy did was objectionable, and one of his few incompletions -- a pass to the flat that cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. nearly intercepted -- occurred when two receivers drifted far too close to each other. And while McCarthy's post-practice comments about their relationship delivered headlines, it was Murray who might have said the most notable four words of the afternoon: 'My confidence is unshakeable.'"
If Murray wins the job, which is what it currently looks like, the Vikings may need to consider moving McCarthy. It is fair to wonder how he would handle a backup role long term. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio believes he should be traded to the Los Angeles Chargers.
“Trade him to the Chargers,” said Florio. “I know they have got Trey Lance back to be an understudy to Justin Herbert. But Jim Harbaugh is the one who went on and on about J.J McCarthy, and maybe J.J. McCarthy will flourish somewhere else.”
This would be an intriguing move, as McCarthy would reunite with his former college coach, Jim Harbaugh. It is hard to know exactly how he would respond to a permanent backup role in Minnesota if Murray officially secures the starting job.
McCarthy is on his $21 million rookie contract. In Los Angeles, there would be no uncertainty about the quarterback hierarchy, as Justin Herbert is firmly entrenched as the starter. In Minnesota, McCarthy may continue to believe he should be the one leading the offense if Murray remains ahead of him on the depth chart.
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