The Minnesota Vikings have a boatload of quarterbacks on the roster right now. After Kyler Murray fell into their laps, it was reported he would need to compete with J.J. McCarthy for the starting role.
Anyone who had ever watched both Murray and McCarthy play at the NFL level should have been aware of how that competition would pan out. Murray, while playing for a poor organization in Arizona, flashed plenty of talent and athleticism. McCarthy, while struggling to stay healthy, only showed growth in short bursts.
Vikings QB Battle Feels Over
We’re still weeks away from training camp, but Tom Pelissero was on KFAN Thursday and all but indicated that the competition was coming to a close.
It would be somewhat surprising to see the Minnesota Vikings call the competition over before training camp even begins. Then again, Murray’s talent gap can make the picture pretty clear for Kevin O’Connell. ESPN’s Kevin Seifert recently highlighted that as well.
Overall, the afternoon was a reminder that McCarthy could continue along the upward trajectory he established at the end of last season — and still fall well short of matching Murray’s experience, arm talent and potential to make big plays in the passing game.
Murray has 87 career games under his belt, and he has never operated as anything but a starter. His 67.1% completion rate is 10% higher than McCarthy’s, and he has a 121/60 TD/INT ratio as well. Put into an offense with the weapons Minnesota has, Murray has the chance to do something really special for the first time in his career.
Unfortunately, McCarthy’s career has gone the way that it has, but this is the reality the MN Vikings are dealing with. It’s good they aren’t going to pretend to know what they have all summer, though.
