NFL insider comments on Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy pours fuel on the fire of his future
The quarterback position is a difficult one for the Vikings right now, as they have a tough decision ahead.
A few days ahead of mandatory minicamp, the Minnesota Vikings took the field for an OTA practice.
The Vikings just introduced Nolan Teasley on Wednesday, where he gave some poignant answers about the future of the franchise. One of the biggest questions that he has to answer is the future of quarterback J.J. McCarthy.
It’s one of the biggest storylines in the entire NFL offseason, and there are multiple directions the Vikings can go, with both McCarthy and Kyler Murray competing for hte job.
Minnesota Vikings Quarterback Competition
- Both J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray have been given equal reps across the board during practices open to the media.
- While the Vikings are giving Murray just $1.3 million, he is making nearly $40 million in total.
- Rumors have already begun to swirl about a possible trade of J.J. McCarthy
A J.J. McCarthy trade may be a possibility
Let’s be real here. The competition may be “real” but expectations are that Murray wins the job. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero echoed that sentiment on The Power Trip Morning Show.
“I don’t believe that Kevin [O’Connell] needs to take this all the way through the third preseason game to determine his starting quarterback. You’re going to probably have a pretty good idea by the end of spring what direction this is going to go.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero
“J.J. has made strides. I think everybody who’s watched him throw, you can see mechanically he looks a little bit different than he has in the past, Kyler comes in as just, he’s a baller man. So Kyler, who’s always been able to make the spectacular [play], but has not always consistently made the simple play. That’s the thing that they have to figure out exactly how well he’s going to adapt. They’re getting a feel of it through the OTAs.”
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert mentioned last week that it may not matter how big of strides McCarthy takes if he doesn’t show he’s the best quarterback, which by no surprise, is Murray. He’s more talented than McCarthy, and it’s not particularly close.
Now that the Vikings have their general manager, could things change with in the building, and Pelissero mentioned that a trade could be on the horizon.
“Again, I would imagine you’re going to start to see the reps perhaps change a little bit here over these next couple of weeks as they hone in on what their plan is going to be going into training camp. And I’m not saying this, I don’t know what direction they’re going to go as you get closer to the season, but let’s say Kyler wins the job, which I would lean toward Kyler is the starting quarterback. Do you have J.J. as the backup? Do you potentially look to trade him while there’s still some intrigue within the league? You might be able to get more for him with two years left on his rookie contract than with one year left. Those are all things that I would think you’re going to talk through.”
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero
Why the change in narrative from Pelissero? He’s not saying this for no reason. Whenever you have an insider like Pelissero start to allude to a trade, it’s not coming from nothing.
The reality is likely simple: trade discussions coming out now from insiders less than 24 hours after Teasley’s introductory press conference likely isn’t a coincidence. Remember, Teasley doesn’t have any investment in McCarthy, as he was drafted by Kevin O’Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
Is it a good idea to trade McCarthy? That is going to differ no matter who you talk to. Regardless, it’s becoming a more real possibility by the week.