J.J. McCarthy Hopes Vikings Don't Trade Him: 'This Is Where I Want to Be'

McCarthy has had a rollercoaster of a journey in his two-plus years with the Vikings, but he doesn't want to be elsewhere.

J.J. McCarthy speaks to the media on Tuesday, June 9 | Minnesota Vikings

It's been quite the 25-month stretch for J.J. McCarthy since he was drafted 10th overall by the Vikings in April of 2024.

That year, he went from the high of a great preseason debut to the low of missing his entire rookie season with a meniscus injury. And his 2025, as you're no doubt aware, was quite the rollercoaster within itself. From his dramatic fourth quarter comeback in Week 1 to another injury, a triumphant return in Detroit, extreme struggles, more injuries, and some moments of progress in a four-game winning streak to end the season — with the birth of his first child mixed into it all. It was a lot.

Now McCarthy, still just 23 years old and 10 starts into his NFL career, is staring down the likelihood of his time as the Vikings' starter being put on pause, with veteran Kyler Murray the favorite to win the job ahead of a crucial 2026 season. McCarthy made unfortunate headlines with his first press conference of the offseason and has recently had his name floated in trade speculation.

On Tuesday, speaking to the media after the Vikings' first day of mandatory minicamp, McCarthy said he has no desire to be traded somewhere else.

"I think I made it very clear I wanted to be here, before I got here," he said. "And I love this organization, I love the coaching staff, I absolutely love these players to death. This is where I want to be. I feel like I can thrive in this system. Everything played out exactly how I wanted it and I wouldn't want anything else to change."

When McCarthy says everything played out exactly how he wanted, we assume he's talking about being drafted by the Vikings, not everything that has transpired since. Because it's been quite a bit of adversity for a young player to face. He's gone from possible franchise savior to perceived bust in the blink of an eye, whether fair or not. He's become a meme on social media. He's seen the quarterback he replaced in Minnesota, Sam Darnold, win a Super Bowl. And now he may have lost his starting job.

J.J. McCarthy runs for a touchdown in Detroit | David Reginek-Imagn Images

He handled his press conference on Tuesday better than he did back at OTAs on May 27. Whereas Murray lamented having to split reps while learning a new offense, McCarthy said rep counts are out of his control and that the only thing he focuses on is each next rep. He also said he's feeling as good as he ever has in the NFL, with Kevin O'Connell's offense starting to feel instinctual to him in his third year.

"I feel so good," he said. "Every single rep, every single year, more and more experience just helps build that confidence and that familiarity within the scheme. Right now, I feel the best I've ever felt playing the game of football, especially in this scheme."

He certainly looked good on Tuesday. On a day where Murray threw two interceptions, McCarthy was the more efficient of the two QBs. He hit Myles Price for a big chunk over the middle of the field in 7-on-7 action. A couple plays later, he delivered a perfect deep ball up the right sideline to Tai Felton for a long touchdown. He hit rookie Dillon Bell on a crosser. McCarthy threw only one incompletion in the entire practice, when he tried to force a ball to T.J. Hockenson into tight coverage.

It's just one day, and 7-on-7 isn't exactly real football, but it was a step in the right direction on the field. McCarthy also took a step in the right direction with how he handled the press conference, including smartly sidestepping a question about if he believes this is a legitimate competition between him and Murray for the Vikings' starting job.

"It feels like the same thing every day, I mean even last year," he said. "I'm just competing with myself to be the best kind of person I am for this time and best kind of quarterback. And at the end of the day, the more we do that, rising tide lifts all ships and we'll be in a good spot by the end of it."