What happened to J.J. McCarthy?
In less than two years' time, J.J. McCarthy has gone from a celebrated Michigan Man to a man that just lost his job. On Tuesday, the Vikings announced that Kyler Murray won his position battle against McCarthy and will be Minnesota's starting quarterback.
The announcement is the latest in a series of setbacks for McCarthy since he helped lead Michigan to the school's first national title since 1997. The 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, McCarthy has made just 10 starts for the Vikings, and while he did manage to win six of those starts, it clearly wasn't enough to convince Kevin O'Connell that he is the right person to lead Minnesota's offense moving forward.
Only 23, McCarthy's NFL career already seemingly appears to be on life support. It's worth revisiting how things got to this point so quickly for a player who -- despite his turbulent start -- still has plenty of time to turn things around, whether it's in Minnesota or somewhere else.
Michigan's title run tainted by sign-stealing scandal
Michigan's championship season was scrutinized before, during and after the Wolverines captured the national title. In August 2025, the NCAA imposed significant punishments on Michigan stemming from a sign-stealing scandal that began prior to the team's championship run in 2023.
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At this point, it's no longer a debate as to whether or not Michigan crossed the line during that time and received a considerable advantage over its opponents. The question remains how big of an advantage did it give the Wolverines and their players, McCarthy included.
Regarding McCarthy, it's fair to wonder how much his play was aided by the scandal and the advantages it gave him and his teammates. His current struggles, fairly or not, would suggest that Michigan's hidden advantage back then helped him considerably.
At the time, however, the scandal didn't deter the Vikings from selecting McCarthy with the 10th overall pick. Looking back, it's clear that the Vikings were comfortable with McCarthy's body of work at Michigan that included a 28-1 record during his final two seasons as the school's starting quarterback.
Season-ending injury
McCarthy was slated to spend his rookie season in 2024 as Sam Darnold's backup. That plan quickly fell through, however, after it was announced following the Vikings' preseason opener that McCarthy had torn his meniscus. His rookie season ended nearly as fast as it started.
Instead of using his rookie season getting live reps during the preseason and practice reps during the regular season, McCarthy spent it rehabbing his injury. It's safe to say that the injury significantly hampered his growth as an NFL quarterback.
Darnold, however, ran with his opportunity to lead Minnesota's offense. He helped the Vikings post a 14-3 record before signing a multiyear deal with the Seahawks after Minnesota let him test the open market. Part of the reason why the Vikings let Darnold walk was the belief they had in McCarthy.
A year after leaving Minnesota, Darnold hoisted the Lombardi Trophy after helping the Seahawks win their second Super Bowl.
Success followed by more injuries
Healthy, McCarthy entered the 2025 season as the Vikings' starting quarterback. He won his first career start in dramatic and historic fashion. In leading the visiting Vikings to a come-from-behind win over the Bears on Monday night, McCarthy was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week. His performance included becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to score three fourth-quarter touchdowns in his NFL debut.
In leading the Vikings from an 11-point, fourth-quarter deficit, McCarthy went 13 of 20 for 143 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He also ran for a score.
McCarthy's meteoric rise wouldn't last long, however. The following week, the Vikings were held to just six points in a home loss to the Atlanta Falcons with McCarthy throwing for just 158 yards and tossing a pair of picks. After the game, it was announced that McCarthy had suffered a high ankle sprain. The injury would sideline him for the Vikings' next five games.
McCarty returned for the Vikings' Week 9 game against the Detroit Lions, and the outcome was eerily similar to Week 1. McCarthy again threw for 143 yards with two touchdowns and an interception to go with a rushing score helping lead Minnesota to a close win. He struggled during the next three games, however, as the Vikings lost each game while scoring a combined 42 points. Following the Vikings' third straight loss (a 23-6 loss to the Green Bay Packers that saw McCarthy throw for just 87 yards and two interception), it was announced that McCarthy had sustained a concussion that would sideline him for Minnesota's Week 13 loss to the Seahawks.
McCarthy returned the following week and had two of his best performances of the season. He threw a season-high three touchdowns during the team's 31-0 win over the Washington Commanders. In Week 15, he threw for a season-high 250 yards with two touchdowns and an interception during the Minnesota's 34-26 win over the Cowboys in Dallas.
The injury bug hit again, however, during the Vikings' eventual Week 16 win over the Giants when McCarthy suffered a hairline fracture in his throwing hand that led to him not playing in Minnesota's Week 17 win over the Lions. McCarthy returned for Week 18 and threw for 182 yards in Minnesota's season-ending win over the Packers.
McCarthy's rookie season was truly a rollercoaster that clearly cast doubt in the Vikings' brain trust about his ability to lead the offense moving forward. While he did win more of his starts than he lost, McCarthy threw more interceptions (12) than touchdown passes (11). He also completed just 57.6% of his passes.
Injuries undoubtedly factored into McCarthy's struggles last season while opening the door for the team to bring in some competition during the offseason.
Murray comes to Minnesota
Minnesota acted quickly in terms of bringing in quarterback competition. On March 12, shortly after free agency had started, the Vikings acquired Murray less than two weeks after he was released by the Arizona Cardinals.
Murray's arrival presented a stiff challenge for McCarthy. While he had his share of ups and downs in Arizona that also included some notable injuries, Murray was nonetheless a two-time Pro Bowler who had largely played well for the Cardinals when he was healthy. During his seven seasons in Arizona, Murray completed an impressive 67.1% of his passes with more than twice as many touchdowns (121) than interceptions (60). He also ran for 32 scores while averaging a whopping 6 yards per carry.
It goes without saying that Murray wasn't always set up for success in Arizona. In Minnesota, he entered a pretty ideal situation in terms of playing for a quarterback whisperer in O'Connell and having arguably the NFL's best receiver to throw to in Justin Jefferson. The general consensus was that Murray would beat out McCarthy if he is able to take advantage of his new situation. That's ultimately what happened.
A new situation
Early on, it was clear that something was off with McCarthy and Murray. That became clear when both quarterbacks offered far different assessments of their partnership. McCarthy's comments made it apparent that he looked at Murray as competition and not as a mentor.
McCarthy's mindset was understandable then as he was in the middle of a competition. But now that the competition is over, it'll be interesting to see how McCarthy handles his new situation. Rest assured that his handling of 2026 will have an impact on how things go for him in 2027 and beyond.
How Kyler Murray’s command and decisiveness won him Vikings QB job in 10 practices
The eighth-year NFL veteran quickly grasped Kevin O’Connell’s offense, showing the accuracy, poise and presence that separated him from J.J. McCarthy.
Kyler Murray’s on-field vision, refined through 87 NFL starts, immediately struck Max Brosmer when the quarterbacks practiced together with the Vikings this spring.
Murray, Brosmer noticed, wasn’t “forcing too many things.”
“He did a good job of, like, seeing the entire picture unfold,” Brosmer told the Minnesota Star Tribune, “and putting the ball in play. And I feel like that’s what an NFL quarterback with experience and maturity does.”
Murray’s growing decisiveness was evident through 10 training camp practices with Vikings.
His comfort and command of the offense, which is a work in progress, was already enough for coach Kevin O’Connell to name him the starter Tuesday over third-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who has 10 career NFL starts.
O’Connell, in making the decision, referenced “high-completion days” for Murray in camp.
They included Aug. 1, the Vikings’ third day of practice, when Murray completed all eight of his passes with the first-team offense. Five of those targeted superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
“There’s moments in time where you know there’s comfort from Kyler in the scheme,” O’Connell said. “He was able to show some really, really good understanding of just putting the ball in play. Playing with great rhythm and timing.”
Murray also impressed the coaches in spring practices and the first two weeks of training camp by bouncing back after tough days.
“As the installs piled up,” O’Connell said, “you’d see a slowdown from a processing standpoint. The next day, you see an immediate response. Some of those things bode really well as we try to get him ready for this thing.”
Kyler Murray sharp after being named Vikings starting QB
Murray was on point during his first full practice as the Vikings starting quarterback Tuesday.
He completed 15 of 16 throws across 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills. The only ball that hit the ground just missed a diving Jordan Addison as Murray tried to hit him along the sideline.
Murray exhibited accuracy and touch on multiple completions, including a roughly 20-yard toss to Jefferson that arced over outstretched linebacker Eric Wilson. While fleeing pressure to his right, Murray threw another downfield strike to Addison that hit the receiver right in the hands with cornerback Isaiah Rodgers in coverage.
Murray was also willing to check down underneath when coverage dictated.
“I don’t have to do too much,” Murray said after practice. “I have a great surrounding cast.”
Murray said he feels “light-years ahead” in the Vikings playbook compared to where he was entering spring practices.
Finding completions within the rhythm of O’Connell’s offense is paramount, but the coach doesn’t want to stifle Murray’s renowned playmaking with his legs. Murray himself called his elusiveness a “special” part of his game.
That doesn’t mean there won’t be growing pains. Murray threw two interceptions at Sunday’s night practice at TCO Stadium, for example. One pick came after he evaded pressure and tried to make a play to Jefferson.
“He has not turned the football over a lot,” O’Connell said, “but one of the turnovers the other night was off [an] ... off-schedule [play]. [He] did a great job getting up and out, and it’s a turnover with [Rodgers] getting him as a cloud corner kind of sinking underneath Justin right there.”
Safety Joshua Metellus told the Minnesota Star Tribune he’s seen the same playmaking in practice that Murray displayed as a two-time Pro Bowler in Arizona. Murray, the No. 1 overall pick in 2019, had 3,193 rushing yards and 32 rushing touchdowns with the Cardinals.
“Stuff he’s been putting on tape since he’s been in the league,” Metellus said. “Obviously, it’s different seeing it every day in practices. I’ve seen a guy who’s come in, being intentional, wanting to get better, be that leader and wanting to be that guy. I’m excited for him.”
McCarthy, 23, now settles in as the Vikings’ No. 2 quarterback, according to O’Connell.
O’Connell said the No. 10 overall pick in 2024 “absolutely” has a future with the team. He doesn’t want McCarthy to think of this as a long-term situation, because he could be called upon if Murray can’t play for any reason.
“It could be an immediate response needed,” O’Connell said. “J.J.’s the kind of guy that will be ready to rock and roll, I know that.”
Kyler Murray’s command stands out
Off the field, Murray, 29, brought a veteran approach that was immediately noticed by teammates.
O’Connell’s offense can be difficult to learn, with wordy play calls that need to be communicated quickly and effectively to 10 teammates in the huddle. The system also comes with different cadences to vary the team’s tempo, and keeping it all straight can trip an offense up.
The Vikings, with McCarthy under center, had eight false starts in a loss to the Ravens last season. That was tied for the second-most false starts by a home team since 2000, according to ESPN.
Making Murray’s job more difficult is the fact he has to practice against defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ exotic scheme, which helped the Vikings allow the seventh-fewest points in the NFL last season.
“That’s a really tall task for anybody coming in,” Brosmer said. “He’s handled it maturely. He’s handled the entire situation maturely.”
Center Blake Brandel spoke highly of Murray’s command of the offense before he was named the starter.
“Clearly a vet,” Brandel told the Minnesota Star Tribune. “I feel super confident in him running the offense and running the show. It’s not an easy offense to pick up and he’s done a great job of that. I’m pumped.”
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Hurry-up Vikings, we ain't getting any younger!
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