National media make a bold statement by turning on Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy after OTA presser
It wasn’t the best way for J.J. McCarthy to communicate with the media after OTAs and it hasn’t gone well for him.
When the Minnesota Vikings signed quarterback Kyler Murray in March, many thought it was the end for J.J. McCarthy as the starting quarterback. Over the next two months, the Vikings did everything right when communicating this was going to be a real competition, and the first practice of OTAs has shown that to be the case.
Even so, the discussion surrounding the two quarterbacks has been focused on Murray being a shoo-in for the job. That has only gotten stronger over the last 24 hours since both Murray and McCarthy met with local media after practice.
J.J. McCarthy’s NFL history
- Minnesota Vikings selected McCarthy 10th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, marking the first time they had taken a quarterback that high in franchise history.
- During his first preseason game, McCarthy tore his meniscus and missed his entire rookie season.
- In his first start, McCarthy won NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his come-from-behind win against the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football.
- Despite that early success, McCarthy played poorly throughout the course of the year, and missed seven games due to multiple injuries.
National media is turning on J.J. McCarthy
Needless to say, the media scrum was rough for McCarthy. He appeared to be bitter when asked about the quarterback situation, as the media asked him a total of 12 questions about it, whereas Murray was asked 2-3.
““It’s just like two guys in a classroom, you know, he sits on one side, I sit on the other side, and it’s the coach’s responsibility to teach us and coach us.”
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy
Not exactly a great look. He knew the questions were going to come and in full force, and he failed the assignment. Now, he’s the talk of the national media across the board, with many having flipped the script and burying McCarthy, including multiple former players.
One of the biggest things about this entire discussion is the narrative surrounding it. The VIkings have done a great job of controlling the narrative overall, but this is something that will take things to a different level.
Now, will McCarthy end up winning them back over? He absolutely could, and that might happen during mandatory minicamp in a couple of weeks. What the Vikings didn’t want is the narrative to take control like this and steamroll against one of the two quarterbacks.
It also plays into McCarthy being considered immature by many, as his consistency was questioned this offseason. There is a lot of time left before a decision is made, but it’s not a great start for the incumbent.
