Kyler Murray Reacts to Being Named Vikings' QB1 Over J.J. McCarthy Ahead of 2026 NFL Season

The Minnesota Vikings have named their starting quarterback.

Kyler Murray earned the starting job on Tuesday after battling with J.J. McCarthy. Even though Murray is the more experienced player, he knew winning the job wouldn't be easy.

"I didn't expect to be handed the job or anything like that," Murray told reporters. "I just expected to come here and compete. I'm very appreciative of how it was handled."

Head coach Kevin O'Connell made the announcement on Tuesday, and he cited Murray's "comfort in the scheme" as a reason why he went with him.

"There's moments in time where you know there's comfort from Kyler in the scheme," O'Connell said. "He had some really high completion days where he was able to show some really, really good understanding of just putting the ball in play, playing with great timing, rhythm."

O'Connell added that he appreciated seeing the battle between the two quarterbacks.

"I'm really proud of how Kyler and J.J. went about their business. They've been great teammates," he said. "The quarterback room is an important place, and I think it's been one in which there's been a lot of high-level ball."

Murray, the former No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft, had struggled in recent years with the Arizona Cardinals. Last season, he appeared in just five games, throwing for 962 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions.

Joining a new team gives him a fresh start, and being named the starting quarterback could give him a confidence boost as he looks to turn things around.

Losing the competition could feel like a setback for McCarthy, who has failed to live up to the expectations cast on him when he was taken 10th overall in 2024.

But O'Connell believes McCarthy still has a bright future ahead of him.

"To me, he's still a guy that's only played 10 games," O'Connell said. "He's shown improvement off of last year, even this year in training camp with the work he's put in and his comfort level just growing a little bit... As he knows, he's holding the pen on his story and we're gonna support him."

McCarthy has played just 10 games since being drafted, throwing for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Unfortunately for him, he won't get much of a chance to prove himself this year, barring an injury to Murray.