J.J. McCarthy has some serious work to do this offseason if he wants to claim the QB1 spot heading into the 2026 season. After the first day of mandatory minicamp, the Minnesota Vikings quarterback dropped a candid update on his progress and the competition with veteran quarterback Kyler Murray.
Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy Reveals He’s Feeling Better Than Ever
“I feel so good,” McCarthy said when asked how he feels heading into Year 3 of his NFL career.
“Every single rep, every single year, more and more experience helps build that confidence and that familiarity within the scheme, and right now, I feel the best I’ve ever felt playing the game of football.”
When questioned about the challenge of splitting reps with Murray in the midst of a QB battle, McCarthy kept it short and honest: “The only thing I focus on is that next rep and keep it as simple as that.”
Earlier in the offseason, McCarthy faced heavy scrutiny when describing his relationship with Murray as “Two guys in a classroom. He sits on one side, and I sit on the other side, and it’s the coaches’ responsibility to teach us and coach us.”
LIVE: J.J. McCarthy talks to the media following today’s practice https://t.co/oNCSWczXFB
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) June 9, 2026
Meanwhile, Murray, a former No. 1 overall pick and seven-year starter for the Arizona Cardinals, admitted that splitting reps in a new offense has been extremely challenging.
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“Having to split reps, already being behind, not getting the amount of reps you would typically want a guy to get when learning an offense, that’s probably the toughest part,” Murray said.
He continued, “Now coming in a new system and learning on the fly, trying to play fast, efficient, and let it loose, while learning, that’s the toughest part.”
J.J. McCarthy Vs. Kyler Murray’s 2026 Season
McCarthy started 10 games for the Vikings in 2026, battling both an ankle injury and a hand injury at various points of the year. Across those 10 appearances, the first-year starter completed 57.6% of his passes for 1,632 yards and 11 touchdowns to 12 interceptions, while adding 4 additional scores on the ground.
According to PFSN’s NFL QB Impact metric, McCarthy posted a 64.3 Impact Score, earning a D grade and ranking 37th among all signal-callers.
Murray, in his final season with the Cardinals, couldn’t quite find his rhythm either, which led to his eventual exit. Murray appeared in just five games before suffering a season-ending foot injury. The former Pro Bowler passed for 962 yards and six touchdowns to three interceptions, and added one rushing score.
Murray recorded a 75.1 QB impact score, managing a C grade and finishing the year as the 21st-ranked quarterback.
Murray is the early favorite to be the Vikings’ Week 1 starter, but based on his comments, he still has plenty of work to do. This situation will certainly be worth monitoring as Murray and McCarthy continue to battle for the QB1 spot throughout the offseason.