Kyler Murray or JJ McCarthy? Kevin O’Connell’s Response to Who Will Be Vikings’ Starting Quarterback

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell has yet to decide who will start in week one as the quarterback.

Kyler Murray or JJ McCarthy? Kevin O’Connell’s Response to Who Will Be Vikings’ Starting Quarterback

JJ McCarthy, Kyler Murray and Kevin O'Connell inside the circle (Image via IMAGO)

In Short
  • Kevin O'Connell will evaluate both Kyler Murray and JJ McCarthy before naming a starting quarterback for the Vikings.
  • Kyler Murray signed a one-year deal with the Vikings after being released, while McCarthy struggled in his first season as a starter.
  • O'Connell emphasized the need for competition at quarterback and communicated plans to McCarthy about bringing in a veteran.

Even though all indications point to Kyler Murray becoming the starting quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings over JJ McCarthy, Kevin O’Connell plans to evaluate both players during the offseason training camp before announcing who will start in Week One. The Vikings are determined to nail their quarterback pick this time to avoid repeating last year’s mistakes.

O’Connell and the Vikings put all of their trust in McCarthy’s basket and made him the starter. In an injury-plagued season, McCarthy made 10 appearances, finishing with a 6-4 record.

Carson Wentz filled in when required, leading the Vikings to a 9-8 finish. While the Panthers made the playoffs despite a losing record, the Vikings finished third in the NFC North and missed out on postseason action.

With Wentz no longer in the building, O’Connell and the Vikings searched for a new veteran face. They zeroed in on the recently released Kyler Murray. The 28-year-old former first overall draft pick agreed to join the Vikings on a one-year deal.

O’Connell mentioned that he’s not ready to name Murray as QB1 just yet, as he wants to evaluate both Murray and McCarthy before making the final decision.

Unless I’m confused in any way, shape or form, I don’t believe we have to name one of those currently.

Kevin O’Connell said via Kevin Seifert of ESPN

It appears that the quarterback whisperer is taking inspiration from his good friends at Indianapolis. The Colts added Daniel Jones prior to the start of the 2025 season. Head coach Shane Steichen thoroughly evaluated both Jones and Anthony Richardson before ultimately choosing Jones, the former quarterback for the Giants and Vikings, as the starter. Steichen made a smart decision by choosing Jones. The Colts achieved 7 wins before Jones suffered a torn ACL, which ended their promising season.

Kevin O’Connell spoke with JJ McCarthy before the Vikings signed Kyler Murray

McCarthy missed his entire rookie year after suffering a torn meniscus in pre-season. Even though he recovered quickly enough to compete for the starting job, football experts advised O’Connell to sign someone like Aaron Rodgers before the 42-year-old joined the Steelers.

Kyler Murray or JJ McCarthy? Kevin O'Connell's Candid Response to Who Will Be Vikings' Starting Quarterback
Kyler Murray (Image via IMAGO)

McCarthy had a hard time keeping up with the speed of the NFL. He showed flashes of promise, but also made quite a few errors. The Michigan alum completed just 57.6% of his passes and threw 11 touchdowns against 12 picks. WR1 Justin Jefferson stood by his young signal caller, but even he displayed frustration when the Vikings lost close games.

The Vikings were back in the market for a quarterback. It does not take a rocket scientist to deduce that McCarthy is not ready to be a franchise quarterback just yet. O’Connell told the 23-year-old that they had plans to bring in a veteran as competition.

He knew we were going to be adding somebody to the room. He knew that that didn’t change anything about his mindset and focus on improving and attacking this offseason the right way.

O’Connell revealed

Murray signed a one-year veteran minimum deal that contains a no-tag clause. This means Murray has the option to leave in 2027 if he wants. Most of his $36.8 million annual income will come from Arizona, so he doesn’t have to worry about his credit card balance running low.

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