The Minnesota Vikings named Kyler Murray their starting quarterback after battling with former first-round pick J.J. McCarthy during the early stages of training camp. That has put McCarthy’s future with the team very much up in the air, and he recently addressed exactly that.
“Obviously, every competitor wants to play,” McCarthy said via Kevin Seifert of ESPN. “But moving forward, it’s just about continuing to work hard and just staying ready for when my number’s called.”
However, McCarthy’s number is unlikely to be called by the Vikings unless Murray gets hurt or struggles mightily, and even that is up for debate.
Minnesota also has veteran quarterback Carson Wentz on its roster, which is why many believe the team could eventually trade McCarthy elsewhere.
Maybe surprisingly, he doesn’t hope that happens, though.
“This is the place I want to be,” McCarthy said. “And I love every single person in this building. I love the state. I love the fanbase. And I’m going to continue to just do whatever I can for this team and this organization.”
Unfortunately, that decision won’t ultimately be up to McCarthy, but it certainly answers everyone’s question about how he feels about the team after it gave up on him after just one year of being its starter.
Last season, McCarthy led the Vikings to a 6-4 record, but he only threw for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
That left a lot to be desired by Minnesota, and so, the team decided to bring in Murray this offseason as competition.
Only time will tell what McCarthy’s future will hold and if it will be with the Vikings, but it’s safe to assume another NFL team is willing to give him another chance at some point.
The No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, McCarthy played college football at Michigan, where he threw for 6,226 yards, 49 touchdowns and 11 interceptions from 2021-23.