New Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray has been splitting first-team reps with J.J. McCarthy during the OTAs and minicamp since being signed in March. Murray joined the Vikings following the Arizona Cardinals’ decision to release him after seven years under center for the franchise.
Analyst Blasts Kyler Murray for J.J. McCarthy Reps Comments
Earlier this week, Murray detailed the strain on his performances, which has resulted from splitting first-team reps with McCarthy. The quarterback’s comments caused widespread discourse among NFL fans and analysts.
During an appearance on Thursday’s segment of the “NFL Live” show, ESPN analyst Tim Hasselbeck blasted Murray over his comments about splitting reps with McCarthy during practice.
“I get a little bit of a kick out of Kyler Murray’s comments about having to split the reps,” Hasselbeck said. “I don’t really mean this in a negative fashion, but that’s kind of first-round pick entitlement… Kevin O’Connell, who was not a high-round pick when he was a player, understands that.”
“Unlike the scenario that he was in in Arizona, where he was anointed the starter because of where they drafted him, you have to get your reps however you may get them,” Hasselbeck added. “So, in some ways, it’s kind of like cluelessness of what it’s like to actually compete for a job in the NFL, which is, you got to make the most of any opportunity that you get.”
Murray was selected No. 1 overall by the Cardinals during the 2019 NFL Draft and No. 9 overall by the Oakland Athletics during the 2018 MLB Draft, making him the first player to be picked in the first round of both drafts.
Murray won the Offense Rookie of the Year award and earned back-to-back Pro Bowl nods, while also leading the Cardinals to the playoffs for the first time in six years in 2021. He had a mixed seven-year stint in Arizona before finally being released when Mike LaFleur was appointed as the Cardinals’ head coach.
BE AN NFL GM: PFSN’s Ultimate GM Simulator
Murray signed a one-year contract, worth a league minimum of $1.3 million, with Minnesota as he attempts to wrest away the QB1 job from McCarthy, who led the Vikings to a 9-8 record in his first season under center (6-4 in the 10 games that he started).
In his first season as the Vikings’ QB1, McCarthy was beset by injuries, missing seven games due to a high ankle sprain, a concussion and a fracture to his throwing hand. He earned a PFSN QB Impact score of 64.3 versus Murray’s 75.1 score last season, setting up one of the most intense QB1 battles in the league.