‘Those feelings are still the same’ — Kevin O’Connell gives more context on the future of J.J. McCarthy

Things are getting wild with the future at quarterback.

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
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Sep 14, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) speaks with Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell during the first half against the Atlanta Falcons at U.S. Bank Stadium.
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One of the biggest storylines surrounding the Minnesota Vikings is what they will end up doing at the quarterback position. Head coach Kevin O’Connell made it clear that they would be bringing in competition.

“I absolutely want a competitive situation,” said O’Connell. “Obviously, J.J. [McCarthy] is going to be a major, major emphasis for our staff and our team and me personally, and we’ll figure out what that looks like as we navigate the early part of this offseason when it comes to managing the roster.

“I think ultimately, we’ve got to decide how to not only continue J.J.’s progression, allow him to continue to ascend as a young player, 22-years-old with 10 starts, but at the same time, like I said, I think the competition in that room will only enhance our entire team.”

Kevin O’Connell talks about J.J. McCarthy at NFL Scouting Combine

We all know they will be adding someone at quarterback, and interim general manager Rob Brzezinski said they will be keeping all options open. O’Connell answered questions with local media on Tuesday as well, and his answer about how they feel about McCarthy brings up more questions.

“A lot of those feelings are still the same. It’s just the timeline is in a different place for all of us than it was [in 2024],” O’Connell said Tuesday.

The timeline itself is rather vague. They do still see him as a franchise quarterback, but the changed timeline aspect is rather concerning. One of the reasons why it has some concern is the second half of his infamous quote about organizations failing young quarterbacks.

“I do believe there’s some times where things just don’t work out, and then getting a chance to kind of wipe the slate clean and get a restart, while still using your previous experiences to kind of shape you know how you’re going to work, why you’re going to work, why things are important to you, will only make guys better in the end, and I’ve seen some examples of that in our league as well over the last few years,” O’Connell stated.

A lot of those feelings are still the same, but which ones are different? What is that new timeline? How does bringing in a new quarterback this year change things with McCarthy’s future and his timeline?

These quotes don’t inspire confidence in McCarthy either short or long-term. It’s a frustrating reality that the Vikings face, and one that O’Connell needs to get right. Even with a record of 43-25, getting quarterback right is of the utmost importance, and his job might depend on it.

We all know why the Vikings are in this spot, and there are a lot of different options they have at their disposal. One of those is McCarthy not being the starting quarterback next season. O’Connell’s quote from today gives that even more credence.

Buckle up Vikings fans, things are going to get interesting.

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