The writing was on the wall, and it was made official on Wednesday. Kevin O'Connell named Kyler Murray as Minnesota's starting quarterback for 2026. Many expected this to be where the franchise was heading after signing Murray to a one-year deal this offseason. With questions now swirling about the future of J.J. McCarthy with Minnesota, O'Connell was brief in his outlook. According to a quote reported by ESPN's Kevin Seifert, who has been covering Vikings training camp this offseason, O'Connell listed McCarthy as the team's QB2, and "he believes McCarthy has a future with the organization."
J.J. McCarthy is the Vikings’ No. 2 QB. Kevin O’Connell says he believes McCarthy has a future with the organization. — Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) August 11, 2026 McCarthy still being on a rookie deal makes this plausible, but depending on how Murray looks this season, there's a real chance he is the long-term starter. Where would this leave McCarthy? There might be a few NFL GM's out there that see some level of upside out of McCarthy, and if Minnesota could get a mid-round pick for the former Michigan Wolverine, they need to pull the trigger. This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Vikings HC comments on J.J. McCarthy's future with the team