Vikings’ JJ McCarthy breaks silence after losing QB battle to Kyler Murray

The Minnesota Vikings have selected Kyler Murray as their starting quarterback for the 2026 NFL season, leaving JJ McCarthy disappointed, though he acknowledged that the decision was beyond his control and reaffirmed his commitment to the organization. Head coach Kevin O’Connell announced Tuesday that Murray had won the quarterback competition and that McCarthy would move into the backup role.

“Obviously, every competitor wants to play,” McCarthy said on Wednesday. “But moving forward, it’s just about continuing to work hard and just staying ready for when my number’s called.”

When asked why he thought the competition was out of his control, McCarthy said:

“There’s so many things out of my control, like the heat today. And it’s just really having the discernment to figure out which of the two [quarterbacks]. And that was one of the things outside of my control and me attacking and optimizing every opportunity which was in my control and that’s all I was focusing on.”

Earlier in training camp, McCarthy had expressed complete confidence that the competition would be fair and that he would receive a legitimate opportunity, but he said Tuesday that fairness was not something he was thinking about during the evaluation.

The decision comes after a difficult start to McCarthy’s NFL career. Minnesota selected him No. 10 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, but he missed his entire rookie season after tearing his meniscus during his first preseason game and undergoing season-ending surgery. He then received the starting job in 2025, but ankle and hand injuries affected his progress.

McCarthy has played only 10 regular-season games in the NFL. During those starts, he completed fewer than 58% of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The Vikings won six of his 10 starts, although the team ultimately missed the playoffs.

Minnesota signed Murray in March after O’Connell opened the quarterback competition between the two former first-round picks. Murray brought considerably more NFL experience to the position, and O’Connell ultimately said Murray had shown enough to earn the job, while also pointing to the potential of what the quarterback could provide.

McCarthy is expected to receive significant playing time in Saturday’s preseason opener against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Veteran Carson Wentz is also on the Vikings roster, meaning the quarterback situation could still have another development.

Though he lost the competition, McCarthy said Minnesota remains where he wants to be. The Vikings open the regular season against the Green Bay Packers before traveling to face the Chicago Bears the following week.

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