Jason La Canfora: J.J. McCarthy ‘Unlikely to Stay With The Vikings’ This Season

Kyler Murray’s path to the Vikings’ starting job felt inevitable from the moment Minnesota secured the first free-agent meeting with the former Pro Bowler in March.

Barring injury, league sources indicated at the time that head coach Kevin O’Connell—the driving force behind signing the former first-overall pick—was going to throw himself into tailoring his offense to a smaller, more mobile quarterback prototype than he was accustomed to. That is precisely what occurred.

Recent first-round pick J.J. McCarthy was never going to be able to mount sufficient competition, and this “position battle” was effectively over the moment Murray entered the building.

“This was all O’Connell—he was all-in on Kyler,” said an agent who represented another top free-agent quarterback and had a firm pulse on the market.

The Wrong Guy

McCarthy quickly fell out of favor in Minnesota, playing at a warp-speed, often out-of-control tempo while failing to improve his decision-making or develop touch on his throws.

He didn’t handle his staccato development well, could be moody according to team sources, and failed to build on-field chemistry with the club’s highly paid playmakers.

“It just wasn’t a good fit,” said one team source. “It was pretty bad behind the scenes.”

It was an open secret around the league that the Vikings brought in someone not to compete with McCarthy, but to take over and give them a better chance to win immediately. After losing so much time to injury already, it would be surprising if McCarthy remains in Minnesota long-term.

“They knew they couldn’t bring him back as the starter and keep that locker room together,” one GM noted this offseason. “I don’t think he’ll be there through the end of the season.”

Possible Landing Spots for McCarthy

Given the modest contracts signed by former top picks like Murray and Tua Tagovailoa after their initial big-money deals, Minnesota may wait to see if injuries surface elsewhere before setting a price tag on McCarthy. Naturally, he would prefer a fresh start as soon as possible.

He won a national championship at Michigan under Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh, though Los Angeles already carries an athletic backup in Trey Lance.

Another GM floated the Giants as a team in the mix, noting Jaxson Dart’s deep injury, New York’s ongoing rebuild, and backup Jameis Winston offering limited long-term upside.

It is also worth noting that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is one of Michigan’s prominent boosters and watched McCarthy lead that program to national prominence.

Another personnel executive suggested the Eagles as a potential bargain-bin buyer, with Eagles GM Howie Roseman doing extensive background work on developmental quarterbacks ahead of the supplemental draft.