New J.J. McCarthy Trade Rumors Reveal Vikings' Stance on QB After Kyler Murray's Contract

Despite their offseason addition of Kyler Murray, the Minnesota Vikings reportedly aren't going to move on from J.J. McCarthy imminently.

Per ESPN's Dan Graziano, the Vikings "haven't given up on" McCarthy and part of their rationale in signing Murray was to get "him refocused on whatever they think he got away from last year."

As Graziano also pointed out, it makes no sense for the Vikings to trade McCarthy. He would presumably bring back nothing of significant value, and they have already paid $15.3 million of his $21.9 million rookie contract between his signing bonus and salary.

The Vikings have been careful about declaring Murray as their starter right now after signing him to a one-year deal in March after he was released by the Arizona Cardinals.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero said last week on The Rich Eisen Show that the Vikings "envision it being a true competition" between Murray and McCarthy, with both players entering the offseason program "believing they're gonna win this job."

McCarthy has had a disappointing start to his NFL career since being selected with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 draft. He missed his entire rookie season after suffering a torn meniscus in the first preseason game.

After being handed the starting job last year following Sam Darnold signing with the Seattle Seahawks, McCarthy often struggled to find his footing. He threw for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and completed 57.6 percent of his attempts in 10 starts.

The Vikings did go 6-4 in McCarthy's 10 starts and finished 9-8 overall, an indication of how strong their roster talent overall is given the issues they had at quarterback.

If McCarthy plays this season and looks like he has taken a step forward, the Vikings will be thrilled because of what it could mean for their long-term future.

Signing Murray, though, gives the Vikings a safety net with a veteran starter who has had extended stretches throughout his career in which he has played like a top-tier quarterback.