Kyler Murray-Vikings rumors go silent after 2 good weeks from J.J. McCarthy?

The emotional reactions during an NFL season are chaotic, and there's no better example than The J.J. McCarthy Experience.

Take Week 1, for example. He was borderline worthless for three quarters before he led three consecutive touchdown drives in the fourth quarter to help the Vikings stun the Bears at Soldier Field. His struggles fueled concerning flames for 45 minutes of game time before he doused the fire and morphed into a hero.

McCarthy then stunk it up in Week 2 and suffered a high ankle sprain. He returned in Week 9 and led the Vikings to a spirited road win against division rival Detroit. However, the narrative shifted from "McCarthy's clearly a franchise QB" to "Who will the Vikings sign to challenge him for the starting job?" after three woeful performances in losses to the Ravens, Bears, and Packers.

Fast forward to the present day, where McCarthy is back on top of the mountain after back-to-back quality performances against the Commanders and Cowboys. While the worries aren't gone, they certainly have been covered up — and there's no better evidence than the latest reporting about Kyler Murray, whose future with the Arizona Cardinals is uncertain.

“Does a safe landing spot exist for Murray?" writes ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "Working with, say, Kevin O'Connell in Minnesota would be ideal, but J.J. McCarthy has shown improvement over the past two weeks."

Oh, how quickly modern doom-scrollers forget.

Two weeks of quality play against two of the worst defenses in the NFL is all it took for McCarthy to erase the drama fest that filled headlines the previous month. Despite showing positive signs, he's the same guy who had his head coach publicly dissecting his fundamentals and technique, while also publicly saying he should ditch his "Nine" alter ego and focus on being his authentic self.

McCarthy has eight starts to his name, and the reactions have been extreme every week: Stud. Dud. Stud. Dud. Dud. Dud. Stud. Stud. It's only a matter of time before the next dud, and how will that impact conversations about the Vikings trading for a veteran quarterback? Distract yourself all you want with what's happening now, but be prepared for more Murray and Mac Jones hypotheticals as soon as McCarthy overthrows Justin Jefferson or tosses an ugly interception.

All the while, the Vikings have been steadfast about McCarthy ever since choosing him over Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones. They've been tested this season through the 22-year-old's ups and downs, and no one really knows if they've seen enough to be convinced that McCarthy's highs will eventually outweigh his lows.

In the case of Murray, do his talents outweigh McCarthy's? What about talent plus contract? Murray is a dual-threat QB who is owed roughly $143 million over the next three years, including a $53 million cap hit in 2026. McCarthy isn't the runner Murray is, but he is on a rookie deal that helps the Vikings pay for premium talent at other positions of need.

All of this is why it's critical that McCarthy performs like a stud over the last three weeks of the season. If he does, the questions about the Vikings' QB situation going into 2026 will be answered. If he's a dud, then conversations about Murray, Jones, and other quarterbacks will infect Vikings storylines for the foreseeable future.

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