Photo by Tim Mielke / Unsplash
The Minnesota Vikings made a calculated bet last offseason – letting Sam Darnold walk in favor of building around first-round pick J.J. McCarthy. It’s a decision that’s looking worse by the day.
Darnold went on to win the Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks. McCarthy, meanwhile, completed just 57.6 percent of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions across 10 starts – a stretch that included both poor play and injury before the Vikings moved to bring in Kyler Murray as competition.
Murray has his own reputation to rebuild. The former No. 1 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft made back-to-back Pro Bowls in 2020 and 2021, but his play fell off sharply after signing a massive contract extension. Even former teammates have publicly questioned whether he can still get it done at the NFL level.
That history hasn’t seemed to shake Murray’s confidence heading into his new role in Minnesota.
Two Very Different Answers
Asked recently what it’s been like working with McCarthy, Murray kept things straightforward.
“It’s been great. Obviously, I know he’s a younger guy. So, any way I can help him, obviously, I feel like I’ve played seven years now, going on eight, so I’m considered a veteran even though I don’t see myself as that. (I’ll) give him any knowledge that he needs. Again, we’re both competitors, and I know we both want what’s best for the team.”
— AP Vids (@ap_vids) May 27, 2026
— AP Vids (@ap_vids) May 27, 2026
Murray also noted McCarthy has been open to both feedback and advice. McCarthy’s response to a similar question told a different story.
“It’s just like two guys in a classroom. He sits on one side, I sit on the other side, and it’s the coach’s responsibility to teach us and coach us.”
When asked if there’s any awkwardness between them, McCarthy doubled down – comparing the dynamic to sitting across from a stranger in high school. “That’s just kind of how it is,” he said.
Yikes.
There’s nothing wrong with McCarthy being competitive. They’re both fighting for the same starting job, and only one of them wins it. That’s the nature of the situation. But when you put his answers next to Murray’s, it’s hard to imagine the Vikings’ organization responding well – and right now, McCarthy needs all the goodwill he can get.
