J.J. McCarthy's Touch With the Football Improved in 'Major Way'

If J.J. McCarthy can layer the football and avoid throwing mostly fastballs, maybe he can give Kyler Murray a run for his money in training camp.

J.J. McCarthy during a June 2026 OTA practice in Eagan, Minnesota. | Image courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings (Alli Rusco)

What's holding up the Vikings from naming the starting quarterback?

According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Vikings want to see Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy working in pads during training camp before settling on the starter. That said, Fowler says most people believe Murray will win the job.

"The way the Vikings see it is, 'Hey, we weren't in pads, there wasn't a lot of hitting or contact. Let's get to camp, see how this goes.' And whether [head coach Kevin O'Connell] lets that competition go into the preseason games will be based on feel," Fowler said Friday on SportsCenter.

"Most people around the league I've spoken to do believe at the end of the day Kyler Murray will win this job. Keep in mind, with J.J. McCarthy, though, the Vikings asked him to fix some things, including to layer the ball, throw at different speeds. I'm told he's addressed that in a major way, and it has shown."

#Vikings QB JJ McCarthy has improved “in a major way” on things the team has asked, including his “layering” of the ball and throwing at different speeds, per @JFowlerESPN.

“The Vikings asked him to fix some things, including his ability to layer the ball, throw at different… pic.twitter.com/fLqRsqLt1Z

— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) June 19, 2026

The ability to layer the football instead of throwing nothing but fastballs is clearly a must for McCarthy or any quarterback in the NFL. While he struggled to do it in his first 10 career starts last season, it certainly sounds like the work he did in California with a QB guru has led to improvements.

"Being a young quarterback in this league and having a year under his belt, you get to learn a couple things," Minnesota wide receiver Justin Jefferson said earlier this month. "You get to learn how to be a professional. How to take care of your body. How to take care of your arm, and obviously, how to take care of your mind. So, I feel like he's definitely gotten a little bit smarter in reading the different coverages, understanding the different throws he's making. Everything doesn't have to be 100 miles per hour; some throws you can put a little touch on them and get it to the spot. That is one of his most impactful improvements that he has made."

Murray is definitely the frontrunner to be named QB1, but maybe McCarthy can make O'Connell's decision more difficult than anyone originally thought he could. If that's the case, the Vikings would be wise to hold onto McCarthy all season as a backup plan in case Murray bolts in free agency when the 2027 NFL league year begins next March.