Close up shot of JJ McCarthy - Minnesota Vikings practice
Credit: Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings
All reports out of Minnesota Vikings OTAs the past couple weeks have Kyler Murray lightyears ahead of JJ McCarthy, not just on the field, but off it too. However, head coach Kevin O’Connell met with media Thursday, and despite trusted reports to suggest otherwise, reported no changes to the current QB hierarchy out in Eagan.
While KOC is trying to maintain the idea publicly that JJ McCarthy and Kyler Murray are are competing in an open quarterback competition, and that it’s being conducted in a professional manner by all parties, the evidence is piling up to indicate otherwise.
MN Vikings QB propaganda not working
Not that it matters to the head coach anyway, after he said yesterday that he isn’t worried about JJ and Kyler’s relationship, and that it doesn’t matter whether or not McCarthy and Murray are getting along. Instead, O’Connell claims he only cares about how his QBs handle their business on the football field.
#Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell on JJ McCarthy’s comments about his relationship with Kyler Murray:
“I didn’t make a lot out of it. I know there was some reaction to it. That’s probably not the first time there’s gonna be a reaction to those guys answering questions about the… https://t.co/S8HXNCHYsb pic.twitter.com/att5d2nuY8
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) June 4, 2026
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Unfortunately for KOC, others paying attention very much care about whether or not quarterbacks at TCO Performance Center are playing nice. Thus, it’s worth noting that media members taking in some of these practices are seeing things much differently than the head coach.
According to most reports, Murray has convincingly pulled ahead of McCarthy. Another thing becoming more apparent by the day — Minnesota’s 23-year-old former No. 10 overall draft pick is not handling it well.
And that brings us to Vikings beat writer Alec Lewis‘, and his most recent piece at The Athletic, which you cannot read without questioning how the Minnesota Vikings plan to navigate the next handful of months with a young quarterback as pouty and disengaged as JJ McCarthy seems to be.
JJ McCarthy pouting over competition with Kyler Murray?
Per Lewis, JJ could be found doing his pre-practice stretches away from the team’s other quarterbacks Thursday. Same thing after practice, McCarthy could be seen jogging off the practice fields by himself, while the other three QBs hung back together.
O’Connell’s [office perch at TCO Performance Center] provides him with the details behind these snaps — behind everything. He knows the degree of difficulty of throws in his scheme, and he knows whether or not it matters that McCarthy stretches away from the other three quarterbacks before practices like Thursday’s, or that he jogged off the field Thursday before the other three, who stayed behind together.
Alec Lewis – The Athletic
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No matter what Kevin O’Connell wants to admit publicly, he absolutely cares about locker room vibes at TCO Performance Center.
Even more so, he cares about how his quarterbacks might be affecting that balance, which will now be in question now that news-spreaders like us and popular online accounts like @TPPSkol (X) have taken notice of this latest McCarthy-caused drama.
J.J. McCarthy distancing himself from the team?
McCarthy continuing to stretch away from the other 3 QBs before practice and jogs off early while the other 3 stay.
Wonder how Kevin O'Connell feels about this? 🤔 https://t.co/g6o7KrQEKM pic.twitter.com/gU9zj9K9xx
— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) June 5, 2026
And given how pouty McCarthy seems to be, I can’t imagine the Minnesota Vikings keeping him around once they officially name Murray the starter. Voluntary OTAs are over for now. Mandatory minicamp begins on June 9.
Will JJ McCarthy still be on the roster when everyone arrives back at TCO Performance Center? Or are we about to see Nolan Teasley’s first blockbuster trade as Vikings gerneral manager?
Mentioned in this article: J.J. McCarthy
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