Michigan great J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray have wildly different takes on Vikings QB battle

Former Michigan football quarterback J.J. McCarthy has been an easy target for criticism. Many have criticized his play since being drafted by the Minnesota Vikings, although he has barely played, while others took issue with some of his recent comments about Kyler Murray.

However, the two Minnesota Vikings quarterbacks couldn't have had more different attitudes toward the quarterback competition when asked about it on Tuesday after organized team activities.

McCarthy had a solid day at the office, with no interceptions during the 7-on-7 period, compared to two interceptions thrown by Kyler Murray. The Michigan football legend, who led the Wolverines to an undefeated season and a national title in 2023, was asked if he was interested in a trade away from Minnesota.

“I think I made it very clear I wanted to be here, before I got here. I love this organization, I love the coaching staff, I absolutely love these players to death. This is where I want to be. I feel like I can thrive in this system. Everything played out exactly how I wanted it, I wouldn’t want anything else to change," McCarthy said.

J.J. McCarthy is being written off too soon by Minnesota Vikings

McCarthy is being written off by many. Yet, he's only started 10 games in his NFL career, with a 6-4 record as a starter. He was also named NFC Offensive Player of the Week in Week 1.

The other thing about McCarthy is that 2025 was his first season as a starter, and it came one year after a season-ending injury. So not only was the former Michigan QB trying to get back to 100 percent, but he was also taking on the job of NFL starting quarterback for the first time.

Some struggles should have been expected. The offensive line didn't do him any favors either. McCarthy needs to improve. That's why Minnesota brought in Kyler Murray, who told reporters he isn't fond of splitting reps with the former Wolverine.

"Having to split reps, me already being behind, not getting the amount of reps you would typically want a guy to get learning the offense, that's probably the toughest part," Murray said.

Murray said he wasn't worried about the starting job. He seems confident that he will win it. That might not be the worst thing for McCarthy, who will get more seasoning. The Vikings would be foolish to move on, though.

Murray is far from a long-term option. Arizona just dumped him because he couldn't stay healthy or meet the expectations of his lofty contract. The former No. 1 overall pick started 17 games in 2024, but started just 24 games combined in 2022, 2023, and 2025.

Last season, Murray averaged just 192 passing yards per game, while running for 173 total yards. He was last selected for the Pro Bowl in 2021.

So the Vikings QB competition might not be as cut-and-dry as people think. Those who are already writing off McCarthy are giving up on him way too soon. He completed 57 percent of his passes last season to go along with 11 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions. He also ran for 181 yards and four touchdowns, giving him 15 TDs total.

In his last four starts of the last season, McCarthy was 4-0 with seven total touchdowns compared to three turnovers. He also completed over 60 percent of his passes in the last five starts.

So it will be intersting to see what happens, especially since the two quartebacks seem to have such a different attitude toward the QB competition.

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