J.j. mccarthy is headed into an offseason fight for the Vikings’ starting job with Kyler Murray. Tom Pelissero said Minnesota views it as a true competition, and both quarterbacks are entering it believing they will win.
Murray Joins McCarthy
Pelissero said the Vikings are treating the quarterback room as wide open and keeping an open mind as a coaching staff. He added, “They envision it being a true competition: Kyler Murray versus J.J. McCarthy.”
“And both these guys are going to go into this believing they're gonna win this job,” Pelissero said. “I don't know frankly how friendly that quarterback room is going to be. It's going to be a very competitive quarterback room.”
That setup leaves Minnesota with two quarterbacks arriving at the same point from different paths. McCarthy was selected 10th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, missed all of his rookie campaign with a knee injury, and then dealt with multiple injuries in his sophomore season. Murray was released by the Arizona Cardinals and quickly signed a league minimum deal with the Vikings.
McCarthy’s 2025 Line
McCarthy still put together a 2025 season that gives Minnesota a real case for patience. He played in 10 games, went 6-4 as a starter, completed 57.6% of his passes, averaged 163.2 passing yards per game and threw 11 touchdowns, though he also had 12 interceptions in 10 games.
Murray brings a different résumé into the same room. He is a two-time Pro Bowler with seven seasons of NFL experience, and in 2025 he played in five games for Arizona because of a foot injury, finishing 2-3 as a starter while completing 68.3% of his passes, averaging 192.4 passing yards per game, throwing six touchdowns and three interceptions, and rushing for 173 yards and one touchdown.
O'Connell's Open Door
The Vikings had already signaled this direction before Murray arrived. Kevin O'Connell called for more depth and competition in the quarterback room in January, and Rob Brzezinski said in February that the franchise would “explore every opportunity” at quarterback in the offseason.
Now the offseason has turned that plan into a direct race, with McCarthy and Murray both arriving with reasons to believe they can win it. Minnesota no longer has a placeholder at the position; it has a competition, and the winner will be the one who convinces the staff before the job is taken out of the room.
