J.J. McCarthy Reveals Stance on Vikings Future Amid Trade Buzz After Kyler Murray Named QB1

J.J. McCarthy may have lost the Minnesota Vikings quarterback competition to Kyler Murray, but he has no plans on wanting out of the organization.

McCarthy told reporters Wednesday that his thoughts about the team haven't changed and he wants to stay in Minnesota.

McCarthy, the No. 10 overall pick in 2024, has had a rough start to his career, missing all of his rookie year because of a knee injury before a poor showing in 2025. In 10 games last year, he threw for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

When the Vikings signed Murray earlier this offseason, McCarthy knew he'd have to battle for the starting role, and he ultimately was unable to earn it. Head coach Kevin O'Connell said the decision came down to Murray's comfort level in the scheme.

"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."

That makes sense given the fact that Murray has been around the NFL for seven years now, but it also means McCarthy is looking at another setback in his journey to stardom.

But O'Connell doesn't see the lost quarterback battle as a slight to McCarthy. He thinks the young quarterback still has a place in the NFL.

"To me, he's still a guy that's only played 10 games," O'Connell told reporters. "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."

It's easy to see a world in which McCarthy eventually wants to get a fresh start elsewhere, but for now, he's happy where he is.