The most talked-about training camp battle took place in Eagan, Minnesota, as the Vikings held a quarterback competition between J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray. Some reports said we might not know the starter until deep into the preseason, but we learned Wednesday that Murray will start the year. This begs the question: what's next for McCarthy?
While appearing on ESPN's Get Up, NFL insider Dan Graziano believes it will be up to McCarthy to decide what he wants to do next:
If Kyler Murray is awarded QB 1, @DanGrazianoESPN says he believes “its going to be up to JJ McCarthy” whether he wants to stay as the backup, or move on from Minnesota:
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) August 11, 2026
“I believe the #Vikings would tell you that in large part is going to be up to JJ McCarthy. How does he… pic.twitter.com/kd7d27dQW7
“I believe the #Vikings would tell you that in large part is going to be up to JJ McCarthy. How does he handle not winning the job… one of the reasons they brought Kyler Murray in was to see how JJ would handle a little of an adverse situation, handle the competition. They have been happy with how both guys have handled it.”
While Dan is halfway right about things being up to McCarthy and how he handles himself, he is also on a rookie deal with zero leverage with the organization. So, if he acts poorly, it will only hurt his future outlook if he wants to move on from Minnesota.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Insider discusses what's next for J.J. McCarthy after benching