Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy has been getting brought up in trade rumors the past week or so. The speculation really […]
Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy has been getting brought up in trade rumors the past week or so. The speculation really kicked off when Tom Pelissero, a respected NFL insider, brought up the possibility when discussing the Vikings’ QB situation.
The hypothetical assumes J.J. McCarthy loses the Vikings’ QB competition, relegating him to a spot where he would be holding the clipboard on the sidelines next season. This, of course, would be the backup role to Kyler Murray as the starter. If the Vikings were to trade McCarthy, then obviously, they would be giving up on him very quickly. In a scenario where Murray starts and J.J. McCarthy backs him up, the Vikings wouldn’t really be losing anything if they just kept McCarthy on the roster.
It would also be a large gamble, seeing as Kyler Murray isn’t exactly the most durable QB in the league. Sure, McCarthy isn’t either, but that’s putting a lot of faith in Murray to start at least the majority of games. Minnesota does still have QB Carson Wentz on the roster, but he’s got obvious injury concerns himself. Not only is there a large injury risk in the QB room, but there’s no complete guarantee that Murray is going to work out, either. The Vikings need to see more from J.J. McCarthy, and they may be selling him, and even themselves, short if they were to deal him already.
J.J. McCarthy was confronted about the trade rumors on Wednesday during his media ability. He didn’t turn down the opportunity to make his true feelings known.
J.J. McCarthy Talks Trade Rumors, Reveals Desire for Future With the Vikings
J.J. McCarthy didn’t back down from the inquiry regarding his views on the trade speculation that’s been hanging over his name in the past week. Instead, he gave a measured answer, and reaffirmed his commitment to the Minnesota Vikings and his desire to be here long-term.
“I think I made it really clear that I wanted to be here before I got here. And I love this organization, I love the coaching staff. I absolutely love these players to death. This is where I want to be.
You know, I feel like I can thrive in this system, and you know, everything played out exactly how I wanted it. I wouldn’t want anything else to change.”
McCarthy is right, he did make it quite clear he wanted to be a Minnesota Viking before the 2024 NFL Draft. The popular evidence of this came during the 2024 NFL Combine, when McCarthy walked up to Kevin O’Connell and said that he would “run through a brick wall” for him.
When posed with a tough question regarding the future of his NFL career, J.J. McCarthy said all of the right things. He made it clear that he is committed to the Minnesota Vikings, and didn’t come off as if he’s trying to push his way out, at least not yet. His comments also did sound a little better after Kyler Murray’s talk with the media, in which he sounded a touch passive aggressive about not getting more first-team reps with the offense.
J.J. McCarthy Has Solid First Day of Mandatory Minicamp
Will Ragatz of Sports Illustrated detailed a solid outing on the field for J.J. McCarthy on the opening day of minicamp.
“He certainly looked good on Tuesday. On a day where Murray threw two interceptions, McCarthy was the more efficient of the two QBs. He hit Myles Price for a big chunk over the middle of the field in 7-on-7 action. A couple plays later, he delivered a perfect deep ball up the right sideline to Tai Felton for a long touchdown. He hit rookie Dillon Bell on a crosser. McCarthy threw only one incompletion in the entire practice, when he tried to force a ball to T.J. Hockenson into tight coverage.”
Minicamp reps obviously aren’t everything, but it’s a very good thing to hear that J.J. McCarthy isn’t taking the situation lightly. His near-perfect day sounds even better put next to Kyler Murray’s whom threw back-to-back interceptions during drills.
We are still very early in this process, and every little bit of news regarding it is going to feel like a bombshell. Regardless, J.J. McCarthy isn’t going down in the competition without throwing a punch or two.
