Why the Vikings Keeping J.J. McCarthy Doesn't Prove He's Competing for QB1

Tom Pelissero's dedication to publicly expressing his belief that Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy will battle for the QB1 job in Minnesota isn't slowing down; it's speeding up.

Filling in for Rich Eisen earlier this week, Pelissero took the opportunity to expand on his opinion that Murray, who signed a one-year, $1.3 million deal with the Vikings, will be in a "fair competition" with McCarthy.

"Kyler's walking in there believing he's going to be the quarterback," Pelissero began. "He's gotta come out, and compete, and win that job over J.J. McCarthy,"

Pelissero's opinion could be linked to direct information from Vikings sources who know, but he hasn't stated as much. Instead, he's connected dots that seem to be leading him to his opinion.

"There's enough there, and he's young enough that they're not just going to punt on him. If this were just, it's Kyler's job, and J.J.'s competing with Carson Wentz to be the 2, you would've traded J.J. You would've gotten whatever you could get for him already, because the longer you wait to trade a guy like J.J. McCarthy, the less his value is," Pelissero argued.

"Other teams trade for untapped potential and traits," Pelissero continued. "The longer he's in the league and the more you don't see what you thought he could be, the harder it is to justify trading something of value for the guy. Not to mention the fact that you're further into his contract, and now that value on the rookie contract isn't there. So I fully anticipate they're going to give J.J. McCarthy the opportunity to come in and compete with Kyler."

Will there be a real QB competition in Minnesota this #NFL offseason or is it just Kyler Murray's gig?#NFL @tompelissero pic.twitter.com/zHVT927dFq
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) May 19, 2026

So, because the Vikings haven't traded McCarthy, it means he'll get a fair shake at the starting job? Pelissero might be right, but I don't agree. I can think of a few reasons why the Vikings haven't traded him that have nothing to do with him getting a shot to compete for the starting job.

McCarthy is the 2027 insurance policy

McCarthy, 23, has 10 starts under his belt. If he rides the pine as QB2 or QB3 all season, he'll still be learning under the QB whisperer himself, head coach Kevin O'Connell. Pelissero argued that quarterbacks under O'Connell keep producing the best seasons of their careers, a la Kirk Cousins, Sam Darnold, and even Daniel Jones, who did with the Colts after finishing the 2024-25 season with the Vikings.

If anything, another season learning from O'Connell will boost McCarthy's value and make him more well-prepared for his next opportunity to start, which could be in Minnesota if Murray elects to leave as a free agency. Remember, Murray's deal with Minnesota restricts the Vikings from using the franchise tag on him.

Murray probably hasn't given Minnesota any assurance that he'll re-sign. If he hasn't, then Minnesota, hoping to compete with Murray in 2026, needs McCarthy as an insurance policy in the event that they're searching for a QB again in March 2027.

McCarthy's value won't necessarily drop

If Murray does sign an extension, then Minnesota can dangle McCarthy in trades while telling teams how much he's developed after three seasons in the NFL.

Not only that, but he'd presumably come with a clean bill of health at 24 years old and with one year left on his contract. A 24-year-old, healthy QB with three years of experience under O'Connell who could be signed to an extension for cheap would attract every QB-needy team in the league.

There's also a scenario where Murray is awesome but misses time with an injury. What if McCarthy dazzles in relief duty for a handful of weeks like Mac Jones did with the 49ers last season? That would put Minnesota in a position where they can move forward with McCarthy if Murray leaves, or re-sign Murray and trade McCarthy for a decent haul of draft picks.

The 49ers held onto Jones as they were reportedly seeking a second-round pick or higher.

The market for McCarthy could heat up

Trading McCarthy in the spring or early summer might have garnered the lowest possible return. He flashed some brilliance last season, but O'Connell publicly criticizing his fundamentals, followed by the Vikings putting him on the trade block, wouldn't win the Vikings the TIME Magazine Dealer of the Year award.

Minnesota would be smart to wait for the annual QB drama to unfold when a team loses its starter in training camp, the preseason, or even the regular season. There's no telling how many front offices might panic when their team's QB situation falls apart in August or September, and that could restart the QB market for a Vikings team that has Carson Wentz ready to be the primary backup if McCarthy either isn't ready or winds up being traded.

Add us as a preferred source on Google