By leaps and bounds, the top development of the Vikings’ offseason is that J.J. McCarthy is legitimately battling for the QB1 job.
Many (incorrectly) assumed that Kyler Murray was guaranteed of the starting spot. Or, at least, that he would quickly speed past the third-year passer since the former Cardinal has proven to be competent. What that all-too-simple equation missed was that McCarthy happens to be talented, as well. Plus, the kid knows how to work, meaning he’s not the same passer today as he was yesterday. These two are therefore locked into a true battle.
The Vikings’ Offseason Features a True QB Battle
At minicamp, McCarthy looked like the better of the pair of passers.
Murray got a lot of negative attention for his interceptions alongside his media admission that he’s adjusting to not having all of the QB1 reps. Truth be told, folks, those minor issues are precisely that: minor. To my eye, what was more concerning were the moments when Murray struggled to find an open man. Was the new offense proving difficult to adjust to after being in Arizona for a while? Playing slow is the kiss of death in a game as explosive as football.
Without question, the Vikings’ offense is a complex monster. In fact, OC Wes Phillips even said that the coaching staff put too much onto the quarterbacks in the past, overburdening them with a mental workload that was too much. Murray can be forgiven for needing some time to get his feet firmly planted underneath him.
What’s still necessary to remember, though, is that Murray can’t take too long. McCarthy is trying to chase him down.
As it relates to a timeline, Kevin O’Connell doesn’t foresee a scenario where the decision is getting made on the Friday before Week 1. The Vikings’ skipper is hoping the competition between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy gets settled before too long. “Those guys both know,” O’Connell recently clarified, “we have a plan in place to make sure that the decision we make that is going to be about what’s best for the Minnesota Vikings. And the timeline of that does involve making sure that we get our starter ready to go.”
On a practical level, what that means is that the Vikings will continue the QB1 competition going into training camp. Crucially, it’s a true contest. The Vikings’ offseason will work through its climactic moments as Murray v. McCarthy is the prize fight at TCO Performance Center.
O’Connell said he expects them to continue sharing reps in practice. So, too, will each get work in the preseason (so goes the plan, at least). And while he didn’t offer a firm date for who is the top passer, I would guess the end of August as the soft deadline. Declaring a starter by that time would allow for a two-week runway leading into the Packers game, which takes place on Sunday, September 13th.
Finally, something to remember in the passer battle is that the key criteria is not who the better quarterback is. Rather, the critical criteria is who better allows the team to win. That’s a subtle but almighty difference.
Envision, for instance, a scenario where Murray is a better passer. That’s a perfectly plausible outcome. However, Murray is a clunky fit in the scheme, failing to hit Justin Jefferson’s preferred routes(s) with consistency while struggling to acclimate to lining up under center. McCarthy, meanwhile, proves better at those things.
In that scenario, a quarterback who is worse in isolation but better in a team context may become the starter. It’s a subtle but massive distinction.
The Vikings’ offseason has been building toward training camp for a little while. Per the recent word, July 26th is the date to know for the young fellas arriving. On July 28th, veterans can arrive and then fans will get out starting on August 1st.
All eyes will be on Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy, a true battle.
