Kevin O’Connell “named” backup quarterback in a sense, but keeps the door open for a key reason that’s the theme of training camp
Minnesota Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell essentially said that J.J. McCarthy is QB2, but it’s not guaranteed to stay that way.
The Minnesota Vikings named Kyler Murray the starting quarterback on Tuesday, August 11th, and J.J. McCarthy would be the backup. On Wednesday, head coach Kevin O’Connell was pressed on whether or not McCarthy was QB2.
“What I would say is this: I did mean that in regard to the question…and he [QB J.J. McCarthy] has taken all the two reps in practice and he’s done really well,” said O’Connell.
J.J. McCarthy is QB2 for now
What O’Connell said is true. McCarthy has gotten the majority of the second-team reps, and we didn’t see either Carson Wentz or Max Brosmer during Wednesday’s practice. After the inconsistent performance against the New York Giants, there were more questions about the quarterback position. O’Connell straightened it out.
“There’s been some really good stuff. But I want those guys feeling like they’re competing,” said O’Connell. “[That is] the philosophy around making our quarterback room competitive and [allowing] that to rise the standard of not only our team, but our offense.
“I know you guys would roll your eyes every time I mentioned [QB] Carson [Wentz] and [QB] Max’s [Brosmer] name throughout the offseason as part of it, but they’re part of it. That’s what we want throughout that quarterback room. We want Carson feeling like he can do the things consistently that he can do [so] that we know exactly who and what he is, and we want J.J. feeling like, ‘I’m one snap away, so I got to prepare like I’m the starter anyway.’ It’s easy to say those things, but we wanted to have a room that forced it.”
O’Connell has been adamant about fostering competition throughout the team, including the quarterback position. There were questions about how serious O’Connell was when he started talking about it. We know that the Vikings have been forced to start three or more quarterbacks during two of the four seasons O’Connell has been the head coach.
So far, O’Connell words have held true, and there isn’t any reason not to believe him. In the same light, it’s too early to truly believe McCarthy will stay at QB2. The fostering of competition could change the pecking order, and it’s worth monitoring moving forward.
