J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings
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The Minnesota Vikings have already named Kyler Murray their starting quarterback. After that decision, it looked like J.J. McCarthy would settle into the QB2 role. However, one prominent sports media member isn’t giving up on McCarthy being a starter in Minnesota or the NFL.
During McCarthy’s time out on the field in the 13-10 preseason opener win over the New York Giants, McCarthy went three-for-four on his pass attempts, leading to 34 passing yards. Moreover, he was also sacked.
While McCarthy needs to be ready for when his opportunity comes, Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports isn’t giving up on the Vikings QB and believes that he can still be a starter.
“I’m still a J.J. McCarthy guy,” Portnoy said on the Aug. 17 edition of “Wake Up Barstool.” “Kyler Murray’s super talented. We’ll see how it goes… Anybody who prepares and loves football as much as he does and has the track record and the pedigree, is his career done in Minnesota?
“Listen, guys get hurt all the time in the NFL. Maybe he’ll be back in Minnesota. He’ll definitely have another starting job, whether it’s in Minnesota or not. He says he loves it there… J.J. McCarthy’s career is far from over. So, what does J.J. McCarthy’s future in Minnesota look like? That I don’t know. I mean, he’s gonna start here again for sure.”
J.J. McCarthy Shouldn’t Be Ashamed of Losing QB Battle
Moreover, Portnoy believes that people shouldn’t look down on McCarthy for losing a QB battle to a player that was the No. 1 pick for the Arizona Cardinals in Murray.
“He may be more motivated,“ Portnoy added. “I think he thought the world was his oyster and maybe wasn’t the greatest leader, and maybe he’ll improve in Minnesota. I once had the time to talk to Kevin O’Connell one-on-one, and we talked about J.J. McCarthy. He loved him. He was super high on him…
“This isn’t losing the job to, like, a bum. Kyler Murray, also the No. 1 pick overall, wasn’t he? Yeah, he’s very good. So it’s what Kevin O’Connell, who I had a close personal conversation with, felt like he had to do. So we’ll see.”
J.J. McCarthy Could Lose Vikings’ QB2 Role
Now, heading into the second preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens on Aug. 22, the question is whether Wentz can be the Vikings’ QB2. For NBC Sports NFL insider Mike Florio, that’s a real possibility.
“There’s been some reporting about issues they’ve had with J.J. McCarthy, getting him to buy in, getting him to defer, getting him to be the guy that they want him to be,“ Florio said on the Aug. 17 edition of “PFT Live.” “It goes all the way back to the lost year because of the knee injury.
“I’m starting to wonder whether or not McCarthy’s even going to be the backup, second string. I’m starting to think Carson Wentz may end up being the backup to Kyler Murray, not J.J. McCarthy. McCarthy had a chance to go out and, to say, did he look any different to you in his performance?“
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Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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