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(Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
The Minnesota Vikings are heading into 2026 with a QB room of Kyler Murray, Carson Wentz, and J.J. McCarthy.
Many are asking if there’s even a reason to keep McCarthy around town if Minnesota felt compelled enough to sign Murray. Murray still has good years ahead of him, and isn’t the typical “bridge” QB. When he’s on, he’s arguably a top-12 signal caller in the league.
There’s no denying that Vikings’ QB J.J. McCarthy has had bountiful struggles already in his young NFL career. Including playoffs, McCarthy has only been available for 10 of a total 35 games. That looks even worse when he failed to finish two of them (@NYG, vs. GB in 2025).
Now, the pressure seems to be on. J.J. McCarthy will enter a QB competition with Kyler Murray, and not many people are predicting McCarthy to win it.
GettyJ.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings looks on during the first quarter in the game against the Baltimore Ravens at U.S. Bank Stadium on November 09, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report recently gave a grim prediction for J.J. McCarthy in the competition.
“The thing is, this probably isn’t going to be much of a battle. Murray’s last few seasons have not been his best, but even then he has been better than McCarthy in just about every statistical category.
Murray is also a former Offensive Rookie of the Year and a two-time Pro Bowler who has shown he can take a team to the playoffs.
If head coach Kevin O’Connell can work half the magic with Murray he did with Sam Darnold, the Vikings could be a formidable team this season.
Projected Winner: Murray“.
If McCarthy was to win this competition, then it could be fair to say the Vikings truly got their guy. When at his best, Kyler Murray is a very good NFL QB. That being said, competition brings out the best in people.
If the best of J.J. McCarthy outduels the best of Kyler Murray, then the Vikings could be back on track to having McCarthy be the face of the franchise going into the 2030’s.
GettyEUGENE, OREGON – APRIL 25: Quarterback Dante Moore #5 of the Oregon Ducks points towards the crowd during the spring football game at Autzen Stadium on April 25, 2026 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Ali Gradischer/Getty Images)
Billy Heyen of The Sporting News recently tied QB Dante Moore to the Minnesota Vikings.
“It’s unlikely the Vikings would end up with the No. 1 overall pick, which many people will predict at this point ends up being Texas quarterback Arch Manning. But if things go badly enough with Murray and McCarthy that the Vikings need a new QB, that may mean they’ve landed in the top-10 selections.
Could they end up with a player like Oregon’s Dante Moore? It’s not impossible. Moore went back to college this season despite being a probable top-10 pick in the 2026 class if he had entered the draft.”
This would certainly be a “worst case scenario” from our point of view at the moment. However, it’s certainly a possibility. There is no guarantee that either of Murray or McCarthy will work out. Therefore, the Vikings could see themselves in a position to take another shot at a QB early in the draft.
Brevan Bane Brevan Bane is a sports scribe covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Minnesota Vikings and Cincinnati Bengals. Brevan began his writing career by making a platform on Twitter and leveraging his presence into writing and content creation opportunities for outlets like PurplePTSD, Vikings Territory, The Noise, Hockey Wilderness, and the VikesNow YouTube channel. You can follow him on X @brevmanbane. More about Brevan Bane
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