Kyler Murray Joins Minnesota Vikings Which Makes J.J. McCarthy Odd Man Out

It's not a surprise Kyler Murray is joining the Minnesota Vikings. But it would be surprising if he's doing this, and he doesn't wind up as the team's starting quarterback in 2026.

Murray has signed a one-year deal with the club. 

And, well, that's terrible news for J.J. McCarthy.

MINNEAPOLIS - Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) before a game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears November 16, 2025 at U.S. Bank Stadium. (Photo by Jerry Holt/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images)

Vikings Correcting 2025 Missteps

It seems the exact situation the Vikings tried to avoid last year in having a veteran beat out the young and unproven McCarthy is the situation they're embracing this year. Like bear hugging, actually.

That's what happens when last year's strategy failed so badly as to cost the team wins and eventually help cost general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah his job.

That's what happens when the quarterback the Vikings let walk out the door after winning 14 games in 2024 went on to win the Super Bowl in 2025.

The Vikings on Thursday wiped that egg off their face and gave their fans what coach Kevin O'Connell promised after the season: A quarterback room with more talent.

"I think there has to be (competition at quarterback)," O'Connell said after his team regressed to 9-8 last season. "I think that's what's gonna make everybody better in that room. It's gonna be what makes our entire offense thrive through that competition."

(Kyler Murray. Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)

Murray Not Sitting Behind McCarthy

The addition of Murray, a former No. 1 overall selection who was released with a post June 1 designation on Wednesday by the Arizona Cardinals, does that. But it does something else.

It sits McCarthy on the bench.

The Vikings aren't saying that – yet. They're going to be towing the line about competition. But we all know Murray didn't sign a one-year deal with the Vikings to watch a less experienced quarterback play ahead of him.

And the Vikings didn't bring in an experienced Murray – a 67.1 percent career passer who in his worst seasons threw twice as many TD passes as interceptions – to sit behind the second-year McCarthy.

McCarthy last season was, well, inconsistent. Rough. A work in progress.

He completed 57.6 percent of his passes which is abominable in O'Connell's quarterback-friendly offense. He threw 11 TD passes against 12 interceptions.

You think Murray signed with the Vikings with any intention of sitting behind him?

Murray Talked To Numerous Teams

Murray spent much of Wednesday evening conducting Zoom calls with teams interested in speaking to him about a possible backup job this year or setting him up for a possible starting job in 2027. It was a chance to get reacquainted with teams that could be interested in signing him in 2027 if their current quarterbacks move on – the Los Angeles Rams being one of those.

But he then flew to meet the Vikings in the Twin Cities because that's where he's going to play and try to rehabilitate his reputation after he didn't live up to expectations, including his own, in Arizona.

The trip to Minnesota said it all: He's their starter, which he needs to be so he can then turn around next year and once again be a free agent – this time as a player who delivered big in 2026 and wants a big contract.

Murray wasn't going to agree on a deal with the Vikings unless he had at least a wink-and-a-nod understanding he was going to get the opportunity to author that career rehab.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy. (Photo by Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images)

Murray Might Remain After 2026

None of this is good for McCarthy.

It means he not only is headed to a backup role this year, but if Murray plays to potential, he's not going to be the starter going forward and likely needs to go elsewhere. That's because if Murray plays well in 2026, the Vikings aren't going to repeat the mistake they made with Sam Darnold after 2024.

They would be first in line to re-sign Murray after 2026.

All of this has yet to play out and the Vikings may or may not admit to any of it. But this is the scenario that is facing the team and J.J. McCarthy with Kyler Murray now onboard.