Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) drops back to pass against the Chicago Bears during the first half at Soldier Field.
Matt Marton-Imagn Images
When news broke that Kyler Murray officially won the Minnesota Vikings QB1 spot heading into Week 1 of the NFL preseason, it was only natural to wonder about JJ McCarthy's future on Kevin O'Connell's team.
On paper, it makes sense, right? If Murray is the future, why not move on from McCarthy to give the former No. 1 overall pick a clear runway to thrive, rather than having another first-round pick breathing down his neck?
And yet, because of the Vikings' recent history with moving on from quarterback too early over the last few years, ESPN's Peter Schrager doesn't know if Minnesota will be eager to make a trade, as there's no downside in keeping McCarthy on their roster while he's still on his rookie contract.
“Less than 12 months ago, I was on the sidelines on Monday Night Football when J.J. McCarthy beat the Bears, and Kevin O'Connell was doing flips on the sideline. And in the locker room, they were acting as if J.J. McCarthy was the savior. Things change in this league,” Schrager noted.
Article Continues Below
Who was known for wearing a single-bar face mask?
“And the same team that let Sam Darnold walk out the building, the same team that let Daniel Jones out the building, I think they would be a little more cautious about letting J.J. McCarthy walk out the building and just say, if he's under contract, it's good to have J.J. McCarthy on this team. He's maturing. I've seen him play probably 25 games of college football. There might have been no better leader and winner at that level. He didn't suddenly forget all that. In fact, he's better this year. It's just that this was Kyler's job to lose.”
Was McCarthy given the short stick by O'Connell and company heading into camp? Considering Murray's pedigree, that certainly feels like a possibility. And yet, because he's just 23 and could be under team control until 2028, moving on from McCarthy now may simply prove too risky. Why? Because as Minnesota knows all too well, sometimes a team really needs a new quarterback for one reason or another, and finding a new one year after year is a tricky endeavor.