The Minnesota Vikings starting quarterback competition did not go J.J. McCarthy's way, with head coach Kevin O'Connell formally handing the reigns to offseason acquisition Kyler Murray on Wednesday, Aug. 12. Speaking with reporters after the decision became public, McCarthy lamented that the competition was "out of my control." "Obviously, every competitor wants to play," McCarthy said, via ESPN. "But moving forward, it's just about continuing to work hard and just staying ready for when my number's called." Neither McCarthy nor Murray played that much better than the other through 10 training camp practices to have the clear upper hand, according to reports from Minnesota. McCarthy entered last season as the starter but early ankle and hand injuries limited any consistent game experience. He lost his rookie season in 2024 to a torn meniscus he suffered during his first preseason action.
Minnesota signed Murray, the 2019 No. 1 overall pick, in March after he was cut by the Arizona Cardinals. O'Connell said McCarthy will be the backup, with Carson Wentz rounding out the QB depth chart. "He's ready to go," O'Connell said of McCarthy. "The guys on this team love him. We love him. ... But this is the direction we're going and moving forward. "To me, (McCarthy is) still a guy that's only played 10 games. He's shown improvement off of last year, even in this training camp with the work he's put in and his comfort level just growing a little bit day in and day out. I'm still very excited to continue to get to work with him every single day, coach him. As he knows, he's holding the pen on his story, and we're going to support him and try to just help him continue to improve as a young player at the most difficult position in sports. He's got to also understand this isn't just a long-term mindset which we want to have always for a player his caliber and a young player like him, but it could be an immediate response needed. J.J. is the kind of guy that'll be ready to rock and roll. I know that." McCarthy was asked why he felt like the competition had been beyond his control. "There's so many things out of my control, like the heat today," he explained. "And it's just really having the discernment to figure out which of the two (quarterbacks), and that was one of the things outside of my control. And me attacking and optimizing every opportunity, which was in my control, and that's all I was focusing on. "I couldn't control anything during. I couldn't control anything after. The only thing I could do is focus on that next rep and keep at it." The 10th overall pick in 2024, McCarthy said he wants to remain with Minnesota. "This is the place I want to be," McCarthy said. "And I love every single person in this building. I love the state. I love the fanbase. And I'm going to continue to just do whatever I can for this team and this organization." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: J.J. McCarthy reacts to losing Vikings' QB battle: 'Out of my control'