Kevin O'Connell Addresses Reaction to J.J. McCarthy's QB Room Comments

J.J. McCarthy created quite the stir last week at Vikings OTAs with the way he responded to a question about his relationship with Kyler Murray.

"It's just like two guys in a classroom," McCarthy said of the dynamic with the two quarterbacks. "He sits on one side. I sit on the other side. And it's the coaches' responsibility to teach us and coach us."

That quote, and the tone in which McCarthy delivered it, became major fodder for outside discussion during a fairly quiet time on the NFL calendar. It was all over social media and the internet, made plenty of blog headlines, and was debated on ESPN and other talk shows. Some defended McCarthy, but most of the reaction was criticism over perceived immaturity from the third-year QB.

A little over a week later, the Vikings held another OTA that was open to media members. Afterwards, head coach Kevin O'Connell was asked about last week's McCarthy hullabaloo.

"Those things are always tough for me because I'm in it," he said. "I'm around it every day. Another's interpretation of those comments are gonna be what they are. I would just say that in the room, and the actual day-to-day, the dialogue between those guys, the interactions, have been very professional. And even more so than that, it's just been a positive room."

"So I didn't make a lot out of it," O'Connell added. "I know there was some reaction to it, and that's probably not the first time there's gonna be a reaction to those guys answering questions about the situation. And that's what part of the competition is all about. There's no hiding anything, it's gonna be displayed on the field. And their teammates and coaching staff and the guys in this building have to feel conviction about the direction we go. And you do that by your daily habits and just improving."

J.J. McCarthy and Kevin O'Connell | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

O'Connell was then asked, as a follow-up, if he likes some of the competitive edge McCarthy seemed to show in last week's presser. The Michigan product had a different demeanor than he usually does with the media, perhaps suggesting that he's both motivated and a bit annoyed by Murray's presence.

"All that stuff... from a standpoint of what actually matters is what I care about," O'Connell said. "Did we take the right footwork on a play? Did we have our eyes in the right spot? Did we make a protection call against one of Flo's blitz looks? Did we do our jobs to manufacture the starting point and potential path to success for the offense? And there's enough that goes into that that I don't have a ton of space left over for who says what and how they say it.

"It's all a reflection of how people handle competitive situations. We're all going to handle them differently. What I care about is when they step between the white lines, that there's growth and development and that it really is a competition."

There's an interesting dynamic that has to be managed within every position room during an NFL offseason, not just quarterback. Players are on the same team, but they're also directly competing against each other for starting roles or roster spots. And while they don't have to be best friends in those situations, they do need to be professional and to at least try to be a good teammate.

"I want players who are smart, tough, guys that love football, and guys who — I don't even want to say are great teammates, you need to attempt to be a great teammate," O'Connell said. "And you need to repeat that time and time again, because that process never stops. But it also doesn't mean that everybody has to be smiling every day. When they speak to you guys (the media), I want them to be open, I want 'em to be honest, because I think it's all part of having a transparent quarterback competition."

In regards to McCarthy specifically, it's understandable that he's not thrilled about no longer being the presumed starting QB. It's human nature to be disappointed in that, especially just ten starts into his NFL career. It's just the way he went about answering the question last week that caused the national reaction.

For what it's worth, O'Connell said McCarthy has handled the addition of Murray nicely.

"I think he's handled it really well," he said. "He's been great in the meeting rooms, spending a little bit more time with those guys. The dialogue between the group, the great questions you get from those guys as we're going through the installation process. ... He's been great in the meeting rooms, he's been great on the grass, and as always, as a former — as a captain and a guy that helps lead our team, he's been phenomenal there as well."

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