MAD GAINZ wrote:

The thing is... if JJ McCarthy is keeping up with Kyler Murray in terms of making the throws KOC wants in this offense, he's in command, and there is not a noticeable difference in ability to operate this offense... you stick with JJ McCarthy.

You know how I feel MadG....we are aligned on this. I agree with your whole post. BUT....I just don't see any way that JJ starts over Kyler out of the gate. And honestly, I think it kind it has to go that way for JJ to have a legit shot at being The Man in Minnesota for this reason: If you make JJ QB1 for Game 1, the fanbase is going to wait for that first off base pass or INT and just HOWL for Murray. JJ will feel the need to be perfect. Murray has to be QB1 and fail or get injured and then McCarthy can come in the hero, showing his improvement and efficiency, bank some wins and then they'll never look back....if he can do that. We'll see.

Its the only equation I can see logically. I'd be gobsmacked if JJ is named QB1......it would be a huge deal on several levels. JMO but that's a pipedream.

What's been overlooked a bit is the Vikings main reason to bring in Kyler Murray was to push JJ McCarthy and improve the QB room by having multiple guys that could potentially start and win you games. I don't think they were going to hand the job to Kyler, just like they weren't planning to hand the job to JJ McCarthy again this year.

If signing Kyler was a wake up call to JJ, it appears to have worked. The media is starting to come around that JJ McCarthy is actually making this closer and it's a real competition, not a sham. Kyler may still win it when it is all said and done, but no one can say JJ McCarthy is playing his way out of a job this offseason.

JimmyinSD wrote:

hearing the reports on all of them I have a hard time seeing any of it as anything other than some sort of joke. sure they can help kids cheat on their school work, and can make some impressive fakes for about anything a person wants, but I think we are going to see more bad than good come from its advancement as long as the drivers are controlled by profits and not improving humanity.

this entire site was built with AI. Like the entirety of it. And I am working with Claude and codex on a daily basis. Been on my team for 6 months and I am outperforming people that have been with the team by a margin of 10-1.

AI is amazing if you know how to work with it. If not you can’t even use it to cheat with. It will in the next two years fundamentally change whole economies and social norms.

Mike Olson wrote:

this entire site was built with AI. Like the entirety of it.

Thats some crazy s hit right there!!

StickierBuns wrote:

You know how I feel MadG....we are aligned on this. I agree with your whole post. BUT....I just don't see any way that JJ starts over Kyler out of the gate. And honestly, I think it kind it has to go that way for JJ to have a legit shot at being The Man in Minnesota for this reason: If you make JJ QB1 for Game 1, the fanbase is going to wait for that first off base pass or INT and just HOWL for Murray. JJ will feel the need to be perfect. Murray has to be QB1 and fail or get injured and then McCarthy can come in the hero, showing his improvement and efficiency, bank some wins and then they'll never look back....if he can do that. We'll see.
Its the only equation I can see logically. I'd be gobsmacked if JJ is named QB1......it would be a huge deal on several levels. JMO but that's a pipedream.

I agree 100% with Sticky on this... I have watched Kyler (unless a Vikings game was at the same time) for the last 7+ years I have lived in AZ and while he has had flashes of the talent, to me, it is 100% because he is a good athlete, not because he is a smart athlete. His bar is lower to me than JJ because I really think JJ puts his complete heart and soul into this team, the playbook, coaching and everything else while Kyler has always just basically just been "really good" at doing football stuff without much effort. When effort was required, he lacked the ability to compete at the level necessary. I think JJ has the ability to put his efforts to good use and end up the eventual winner, but I really would rather see Kyler start, do Kyler stuff and win a couple games. But as usual, his lack of size will limit him, he will get injured and JJ will likely get his opportunity which I hope he takes and runs with.

😁JimmyinSD wrote:

somebody should send that to Elon and tell him his toy is broken!

Heh...kinda like when it said that DOG...er, whoops, I'm not allowed to have opinions on that stuff, right? 😁

The fact that it's essentially condensing what everyone's said about the minicamp QB duel is maybe a sign of progress....

Daniel McRandall wrote:

I agree 100% with Sticky on this... I have watched Kyler (unless a Vikings game was at the same time) for the last 7+ years I have lived in AZ and while he has had flashes of the talent, to me, it is 100% because he is a good athlete, not because he is a smart athlete. His bar is lower to me than JJ because I really think JJ puts his complete heart and soul into this team, the playbook, coaching and everything else while Kyler has always just basically just been "really good" at doing football stuff without much effort. When effort was required, he lacked the ability to compete at the level necessary. I think JJ has the ability to put his efforts to good use and end up the eventual winner, but I really would rather see Kyler start, do Kyler stuff and win a couple games. But as usual, his lack of size will limit him, he will get injured and JJ will likely get his opportunity which I hope he takes and runs with.

How do you know this? Sounds like a baseless assumption to me. While I agree that Murray has never had to compete for anything, I think you might be glowing up JJ a bit here. The whole reason we have a competition in the first place is due as much to JJ's behavior and lack of maturity as it does his on-field performance.

MaroonBells wrote:

How do you know this? Sounds like a baseless assumption to me. While I agree that Murray has never had to compete for anything, I think you might be glowing up JJ a bit here. The whole reason we have a competition in the first place is due as much to JJ's behavior and lack of maturity as it does his on-field performance.

This is hilariously false. Talk about a narrative that's manufactured, that's the one. Those basing this on his griddy he did against Dallas are REALLY reaching and we know what the media does. I guess a lack of maturity would be having a clause in your contract to not play video games....that's a lack of maturity. But that's in the past for Kyler, right? 🤔 😑

JJ has competition because JJ didn't perform well on the field, period. Has zero to do with off the field, he wouldn't be as popular with his teammates if so. We know that Kyler is going to get his shot at QB1, for sure....I mean I guess some might not think so, but the writing is right there on the wall.

StickierBuns wrote:

This is hilariously false. Talk about a narrative that's manufactured, that's the one. Those basing this on his griddy he did against Dallas are REALLY reaching and we know what the media does. I guess a lack of maturity would be having a clause in your contract to not play video games....that's a lack of maturity. But that's in the past for Kyler, right? 🤔 😑
JJ has competition because JJ didn't perform well on the field, period. Has zero to do with off the field, he wouldn't be as popular with his teammates if so. We know that Kyler is going to get his shot at QB1, for sure....I mean I guess some might not think so, but the writing is right there on the wall.

Are you just choosing to ignore it? The theatrics, the griddy despite being explicitly told not to do it, the "nine," the towel over the hands, hiding an injury...twice, the bizarre pulling himself from a game in the middle of a series. No, he's got to grow up. Just like Kyler had to.

MaroonBells wrote:

Are you just choosing to ignore it? The theatrics, the griddy despite being explicitly told not to do it, the "nine," the towel over the hands, hiding an injury...twice, the bizarre pulling himself from a game in the middle of a series. No, he's got to grow up. Just like Kyler had to.

lol, a little dramatic no? Not ignoring anything because all of this is his personality. You've got to be kidding me about the 9 comment, lol. Seriously. Nothing was more overblown than that comment. I'm not going to change any minds and that's fine.....but we all have our narratives and X is there to stir the shit....you know, like reporting a guy is slacking, ignoring his position group and leaving practice in a rush....when there was no context to it.

JJ has to mature just like most kids his age, zero doubt about that. But I don't really expect anything much as its just his personality.....if fans think its corny or cringe, that I can understand. And some fans don't like that he hasn't proven anything yet to act like this....but again, its his personality. He'll be acting like he is now at 30 years old. And if that bothers some fans, that's fine. But let's call it what it is.

Everyone got a take.

I believe there was more "concern" about JJ than just mechanics, a griddy or maturity. I think it was how (at a high level) he handled his re-hab and himself w/in the building not just his rookie year, but the last 2 seasons.

During OTA's, KOC spoke pretty transparently about leading the team through energy, example, igniting the locker room and other word salad descriptors. I believe those were meant to publicly highlight the behaviors they were aiming for and illustrate to #9 to get his s hit together.

Last year looked like they had a great plan moving ahead and then we found out the big disconnect between what the coach wanted and what the GM mandated. You just never know what might be really going on...Whether that be public accoladades from O'Neil, KOC word salad etc..

Looks like he's on the right track and improved, which is awesome. I dont want all my eggs in the K1 bucket (yet). The team will rally behind whomever wins the QB comp (as will the fans)...

Let's hope they get the QB decision right, we cant possibly have another historically bad year of anemic passing.

QB room improved for sure 🤘

StickierBuns wrote:

lol, a little dramatic no? Not ignoring anything because all of this is his personality. You've got to be kidding me about the 9 comment, lol. Seriously. Nothing was more overblown than that comment. I'm not going to change any minds and that's fine.....but we all have our narratives and X is there to stir the shit....you know, like reporting a guy is slacking, ignoring his position group and leaving practice in a rush....when there was no context to it.
JJ has to mature just like most kids his age, zero doubt about that. But I don't really expect anything much as its just his personality.....if fans think its corny or cringe, that I can understand. And some fans don't like that he hasn't proven anything yet to act like this....but again, its his personality. He'll be acting like he is now at 30 years old. And if that bothers some fans, that's fine. But let's call it what it is.

You're overreacting, and bringing up X issues I've never mentioned. I'm not saying he's a failure or that he has debilitating maturity issues. He's still very young and wide-eyed (younger than Ty Simpson), so I think one thing we can say for certain is that he will mature and quiet his mind with more time and experience. I'm not expecting Kirk Cousins here, just a little more Drake Maye and a little less Scrappy Doo.

MaroonBells wrote:

You're overreacting, and bringing up X issues I've never mentioned. I'm not saying he's a failure or that he has debilitating maturity issues. He's still very young and wide-eyed (younger than Ty Simpson), so I think one thing we can say for certain is that he will mature and quiet his mind with more time and experience. I'm not expecting Kirk Cousins here, just a little more Drake Maye and a little less Scrappy Doo.

I bring up X because they pushed those narratives you are talking about, not you personally. Those are how those narratives are created. For example, this ridiculous conjecture:

NFL minicamp overreactions: Kyler Murray blowing chance as Vikings QB1? Colts regretting Alec Pierce deal?

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-minicamp-overreactions-2026/

I guess Kyler doesn't get time to learn the playbook? He calls it an 'overreaction' but that belies that this silly narrative exists anyway to reply to. And because Kyler mentions that splitting the reps hurts his learning curve (which he's exactly correct about), that's a negative somehow. Works on both guys in the competition, these online potshots. Silliness.

StickierBuns wrote:

This is hilariously false. Talk about a narrative that's manufactured, that's the one. Those basing this on his griddy he did against Dallas are REALLY reaching and we know what the media does. I guess a lack of maturity would be having a clause in your contract to not play video games....that's a lack of maturity. But that's in the past for Kyler, right? 🤔 😑
JJ has competition because JJ didn't perform well on the field, period. Has zero to do with off the field, he wouldn't be as popular with his teammates if so. We know that Kyler is going to get his shot at QB1, for sure....I mean I guess some might not think so, but the writing is right there on the wall.

Meh the things I have heard are that he is immature. Not so much in the bratty way but just in the cringey like he doesn't get what it actually takes sort of way. But that's just talk.

All I know is this kid gets more leeway than a lot of other QB's we have had.

Mike Olson wrote:

All I know is this kid gets more leeway than a lot of other QB's we have had.

From fans or the media? Or both? Cuz he's had way more negative narrative around him than any rookie QB I can remember.

Its a very weird dynamic here with this franchise and Qb's...I think it goes back to whomever backfilled Tark.

Some traditions die hard.

purplefaithful wrote:

Its a very weird dynamic here with this franchise and Qb's...I think it goes back to whomever backfilled Tark.
Some traditions die hard.

TK9

MAD GAINZ wrote:

From fans or the media? Or both? Cuz he's had way more negative narrative around him than any rookie QB I can remember.

This 100