J.J. McCarthy has become the center of the Vikings’ conversation since the team’s wild card-round loss to the Rams in January of 2025, and that has done something unusual for Kyler Murray: it has let him slip into the background.
What began as optimism about McCarthy heading into the 2025 season has turned into a mess of injuries, uneven play and constant questions about where he fits now. Even after Murray took over the starting job, the discussion around Minnesota still keeps circling back to the former 10th overall pick.
General manager Nolan Teasley was pressed on that again in his Wednesday presser, with the questions covering whether McCarthy will be QB2 or QB3, what is going on with the ankle injury and whether the team plans to keep him on the roster.
"I think I said that from the jump. He was picked in the first round for a reason," Teasley said about McCarthy..
Really good arm strength, underrated athlete and looking forward to how he continues to develop in this system. I think that the thing you need to keep in mind with J.J. is that he has the hardest job in sports.
He's only started 10 games and his story's not written.
Nolan Teasley says J.J. McCarthy was a first round pick “for a reason” and said “his story’s not written” after ten starts when asked about his future with franchise. pic.twitter.com/BU7TZEgdnW
For Murray, all of that noise may be working in his favor. As Minnesota gets ready to open the season against the Packers on Sept. 13, he’s stepping into one of the league’s more intriguing offensive situations with surprisingly little of the attention that usually follows a new quarterback.
That is a different kind of setup for Murray, who has spent years dealing with assumptions and jokes that followed him from Arizona. The “study clause” attached to his Cardinals extension and the old “Call of Duty” punchlines have long hung around him, even though former teammates have defended him. Some of that baggage has come with him to Minnesota, but the focus on McCarthy has kept most of the heat elsewhere.
That has given Murray room to work through training camp without every throw becoming a referendum on his future. McCarthy kept pulling the spotlight back onto himself, no matter what Murray did on the practice field.
As camp went on, Murray put together several strong days that might have drawn more attention in a different setting. Instead, he’s been able to operate with a kind of cover that quarterbacks rarely get. For a player who has already been selected ninth overall in the 2018 MLB Draft, won the Heisman and gone first overall in the 2019 NFL Draft in 2019, this may be the first time he has not been the biggest storyline in his own quarterback room.
“I think Kyler has really grown in his ability to manage the line of scrimmage” -Nolan Teasley on what he’s seen from Kyler Murray through the QB competition pic.twitter.com/v7QrptJ6w9
Murray now gets his chance to show that growth early, with expectations around him seeming lower than usual because of everything still swirling around McCarthy. And if that sounds familiar to Vikings fans, it should.
Some of Minnesota’s best seasons have come with quarterback uncertainty hanging over the team. The 2017 and 2024 squads are examples, both reaching the playoffs after winning 13 and 14 games, respectively.
Murray arrives with more accomplishments than Case Keenum or Sam Darnold had when they came to Minnesota, but he may end up benefiting in the same basic way: by being the quarterback nobody can stop talking about because they’re talking about someone else. If that turns into production on the field, McCarthy may end up being the unexpected reason Murray thrived.
In Other News...
Vikings Are Sending A Clear Message About J.J. McCarthy
The Vikings are leaving little doubt about where J.J. McCarthy stands heading into the opener against Green Bay. General manager Nolan Teasley said the quarterback is expected to be on the roster for Week 1, a notable checkpoint for a player whose early career has been shaped by injuries but who has recently been a full participant in practice.
McCarthys availability has become part of the larger conversation around Minnesotas plans, especially with the organization continuing to talk up his talent and development. For now, the message from the front office is clear enough: the team believes he is moving in the right direction, and the real test will come when the roster is set for the Packers. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings May Already Have C.J. Hams Successor In Place
C.J. Hams retirement after 10 years in Minnesota leaves the Vikings with a familiar kind of hole, one that matters more than it might outside the building. The fullback role has never been glamorous, but it has long been part of the identity of this offense, especially when the Vikings want to lean into physical football and make life easier for their backs and tight ends.
Enter Max Bredeson, the fifth-round pick who already looks like a logical fit for that job. He is expected to bring the kind of blocking and versatility the Vikings value, and his ability to work in heavy packages alongside T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver gives Minnesota some flexibility as it shifts toward a more run-heavy approach. The question now is less about whether the role will be filled and more about how quickly Bredeson can make it his own. [Read more 🡒]
Kyler Murray Could Change How The Vikings Offense Really Looks
Kyler Murrays rise as Minnesotas starting quarterback has added a new layer to an offense that already asked plenty of its passer before the ball was even snapped. General manager Nolan Teasley pointed to Murrays growth as a thrower, especially his anticipation, his ability to fit passes into tight windows and the work hes done at the line of scrimmage, all while still bringing the mobility that has always made him dangerous. In Kevin OConnells system, where timing and footwork matter so much, that combination could make the Vikings look a little different than they did a year ago.
The early signs have been encouraging in practices and preseason games, where observers have seen flashes of that expanded skill set show up in real time. Still, the bigger test is whether Murray can stack those moments into the kind of consistent execution Minnesota needs once the games count for real. If he can, the Vikings may not just be getting a quarterback who extends plays, but one who can run the offense in a way that changes its ceiling. [Read more 🡒]