J.J. McCarthy Responds to Question About Vikings Trade Buzz in Video Amid Kyler Murray QB Battle

The Minnesota Vikings brought Kyler Murray in this offseason to compete with J.J. McCarthy for the starting quarterback job, but that doesn't mean the latter wants to be traded.

"I think I made it very clear I wanted to be here before I got here," McCarthy said when asked whether he thought about whether he would like to be traded. "And I love this organization, I love the coaching staff. I absolutely love these players to death. This is where I want to be. I feel like I can thrive in this system. Everything played out exactly how I wanted it, I wouldn't want anything else to change."

Minnesota showed it believed in McCarthy when it selected him with the No. 10 overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft, but he missed his entire rookie season because of injury and struggled in his second season.

The Michigan product completed 57.6 percent of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while posting a 35.6 QBR in 10 games during the 2025 campaign. Minnesota also started Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer under center, which is not exactly a list of the league's best quarterbacks.

Still, it managed to go 9-8 thanks in large part to the amount of talent surrounding the position on the rest of the roster.

Had they received even average quarterback play, the Vikings likely would have made the playoffs. That surely contributed to their decision-making process to bring in a two-time Pro Bowler like Murray, even if it meant jeopardizing McCarthy's long-term outlook with the club.

For his part, McCarthy was adamant he wants to remain with the NFC North team.

And perhaps having more experience in head coach Kevin O'Connell's system will help him make strides in 2026 and start to live up to the expectations that were put in place when the Vikings selected him with a top-10 pick.

That would mean beating out Murray for the job, though, and ESPN's Kevin Seifert called the former Cardinals playmaker "the heavy favorite to win" the competition.

Even if that becomes a reality ahead of Minnesota's Sept. 13 season opener against the Green Bay Packers, McCarthy's comments suggest he has no interest in a change of scenery from the team that brought him into the NFL.