The Minnesota Vikings may have just used a 1st-round pick on quarterback JJ McCarthy two offseasons ago, but it already feels like the former Michigan star is on the outside looking in of the team's QB1 job heading into 2026.
The Vikings traded up for McCarthy the same offseason they brought in Sam Darnold as a possible reclamation project. When McCarthy suffered a season-ending injury in the preseason, Darnold took over for good and led the Vikings to a phenomenal 14-win season.
The Vikings made the ill-advised decision to let Darnold walk in free agency to the Seattle Seahawks, who he helped lead to a Super Bowl win this past season. Meanwhile, the Vikings struggled to nine wins, and their quarterback position was a problem all season long.
McCarthy has, up to this point, failed to prove himself worthy of the distinction of being the team's franchise quarterback. In fact, the Vikings' addition of Kyler Murray has made it clear that the organization doesn't believe McCarthy is even for sure good enough to be their starter this year, much less the face of the franchise. And his recent comments at Vikings OTAs paint a clear picture of what's going on behind the scenes.
JJ McCarthy can't hide his emotions at Minnesota Vikings OTAs when asked about Kyler Murray
#Vikings QBs Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy on their relationship with one another so far
— Adam Patrick (@adampatrickNFL) May 27, 2026
Not exactly the same answer... 😬pic.twitter.com/USHh3q0G3u
The NFL world has taken these clips of Kyler Murray speaking to the media and JJ McCarthy speaking to the media absolutely viral. And there's a reason for it. The stark contrast in the way these two quarterbacks speak paints a picture of which guy is secure in his job right now and which guy is really upset about how things are going.
McCarthy, who showed incredible charisma to the point of being considered happy-go-lucky in the pre-draft process back in 2024, is clearly subdued as he talks about he and Murray in a very confusing illustration.
He says that the two of them are, "Just like two guys in a classroom."
When asked about awkwardness, he said:
"Awkwardness? You know, it's just like the same feeling when you're in high school, and there's another person on the other side of the room. That's just kind of how it is, so I wouldn't say there's any awkwardness."
- JJ McCarthy at Vikings OTAs
Even if McCarthy says there's no awkwardness between he and Kyler Murray, he created a lot of awkwardness with the way he answered these questions. Murray, on the other hand, carried himself extremely confidently, saying that his relationship with McCarthy has been great.
He took a much more humble approach to answering the questions and without saying it directly, you can tell one thing is true about the Vikings' QB competition based on the way these guys are talking: It's Murray's job to lose.
And early indications out of Vikings OTAs are that Murray has looked very good, and that the Vikings might have struck gold by landing him this offseason.
None of what we're hearing up to this point seems to bode well for McCarthy's short-term future with the team, including what we're hearing from McCarthy himself.
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