The J.J. McCarthy Reaction Is Getting Out of Control

"Do you know who can beat J.J. McCarthy? Anybody with a heartbeat."

The latest overly harsh criticism of the Vikings' 23-year-old quarterback came Friday on ESPN's "Get Up" from former NFL wide receiver Steve Smith. It's not surprising considering Smith has morphed into a national TV talking head. His job is to form big opinions, but that hot take is immature, if not stupid.

Even his follow-up diss to Murray about the video game Call of Duty was stale.

"Kyler Murray. Good luck. I hope things improve for him. I hope he stays off the Call of Duty and start getting in his playbook," Smith said, referring to the viral 2022 story in which the Arizona Cardinals put an addendum in his contract about studying film and avoiding video games.

"You know who can beat J.J. McCarthy? Anybody with a heartbeat!"

Steve Smith Sr. on the Vikings' QB battle 😳 pic.twitter.com/OllxH1ocg6
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) May 29, 2026

McCarthy may not be able to beat Kyler Murray in a quarterback competition. Maybe he'd lose a QB battle to Carson Wentz, too. But despite his underwhelming first two years after being picked 10th overall by the Vikings in 2024, he's still far too talented, and has enough on his resume, to know that he's not a pushover.

Kyler Murray. Good luck. I hope things improve for him. I hope he stays off the Call of Duty and start getting in his playbook.

Saying anyone with a heartbeat could beat him in a QB competition is nuts. Was McCarthy not the guy who led the Vikings to three touchdowns in the fourth quarter of last year's season-opening win over the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field?

Is McCarthy not the guy who did everything right in a road win over the Detroit Lions last season, including hitting Jalen Nailor for a 16-yard gain on third-and-five to seal the win late in the fourth quarter?

There's more bad play on tape than good from McCarthy's first season as the starter, but if that warrants a final judgment, then Peyton Manning never would've been given a second chance after he threw 28 interceptions as a rookie in 1998. I'm not saying McCarthy is the next Manning, but it's asinine to compare "Nine" to bottom-of-the-barrel quarterbacks.

While hot takes like Smith's are unwarranted, McCarthy should've expected them as soon as he finished talking with reporters at Vikings OTAs on Wednesday. Instead of giving a typical politically correct response, he opened the door for criticism when he gave an honest answer about his relationship with Murray.

"It's just like two guys in a classroom," McCarthy said. "He sits on one side. I sit on the other side. And it's the coaches' responsibility to teach us and coach us. ... Awkwardness? It's just like the same feeling when you're in high school and there's another person on the other side of the room. That's just kind of how it is. I wouldn't say there's any awkwardness."

"The organization made a decision that they feel like is going to improve the depth and quality of the room."

J.J. McCarthy talks about the Vikings' decision to bring in Kyler Murray this offseason. pic.twitter.com/O3DK2kuzpE
— Bring Me The Sports (@BMTNSports) May 27, 2026

While Smith and others are stewing over McCarthy's comments, the former national championship-winning quarterback was enjoying a night of slow-pitch softball for charity with his teammates at CHS Field in St. Paul on Thursday night.

NINE WITH THE NUKE pic.twitter.com/IZyvqMMYmb
— Jason Harmon (@JasonHarmonNFL) May 29, 2026

Remember, what you see on TV is usually louder than it is in real life. Everyone needs to calm down.

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