J.J. McCarthy entered the offseason hoping to re-establish himself as the Minnesota Vikings' quarterback of the future. Instead, after signing Kyler Murray, a new analysis suggests his path to the starting job is becoming even more difficult.

Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox believes J.J. McCarthy's standing in Minnesota has slipped after the Vikings signed Kyler Murray earlier this offseason. With training camp opening August 1, Knox sees Murray as the favorite to win the starting job.

"To be fair, there's still a chance that McCarthy can claim the Vikings' starting gig in camp,” Knox wrote. “If he can't, however, Murray may never relinquish it, and McCarthy may find himself out of opportunities in Minnesota."

Knox also gave his take on the change in team if that scenario unfolds.

"If that occurs, he should hope to land with another team that doesn't have a clear long-term QB answer sooner rather than later,” Knox wrote in Bleacher’s report.

McCarthy's NFL career hasn't gotten off to the start he expected. A knee injury wiped out his rookie season, leaving the 2024 first-round pick without a chance to compete for the starting job.

ESPN's Kevin Seifert recently called Murray the "heavy favorite" to win the competition. On the other hand, ESPN’s Dan Graziano also reported the Vikings signed Murray in part to help McCarthy regain his focus.

Knox identified the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers as potential landing spots should McCarthy's future in Minnesota come to an end.

Despite growing expectations that Murray will open the season as Minnesota's starter, not everyone believes the competition is over.

Adam Schefter isn't ready to rule out J.J. McCarthy

ESPN insider Adam Schefter recently urged caution when discussing McCarthy's chances, saying the battle remains open entering training camp.

"I know everybody is anointing Kyler. I'm not ready to just give up on J.J. McCarthy,” Schefter told ESPN's Get Up. “That's me. We'll see."

Schefter's comments offer a different perspective from much of the recent speculation surrounding Minnesota's quarterback room.

McCarthy still has time to change the narrative during camp, but he'll need a strong showing over the coming weeks.

Reports have indicated Murray has spent part of the offseason building chemistry with Vikings receiver Jordan Addison, another sign that the veteran is preparing to lead the offense.

If McCarthy can impress head coach Kevin O'Connell, he could still force a difficult decision. If not, the questions about his long-term future with the Vikings are only likely to grow.

Do you think Murray will take over the starting position?

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Written by

Evince Das

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi