Safe to say, folks, that the Minnesota Vikings are working through a quarterback battle. What can nevertheless be notable is when the NFL stirs the pot.
On Friday, the league’s official Twitter account — boasting 36.6 million followers — posted a short-and-sweet message. Alongside a brief caption offering a “look at the @Vikings QB room,” there’s a side-by-side photo of Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy in their Vikings uniforms. There’s even a the double eyeball emoji to further fan the flame. Oh, and each quarterback had their Twitter account tagged, meaning very little was subtle about the post.
By and large, people within the NFL’s orbit believe that Kyler Murray will become the new QB1 for the Vikings.
He was chosen at No. 1 in the 2019 NFL Draft. Since then, Murray has won Offensive Rookie of the Year and been sent to the Pro Bowl a pair of times. Nobody questions his talent. Very few are as accurate. Still fewer are so explosive and elusive. Chasing him down isn’t easy.
Where there’s concern is within his commitment. Prior to being drafted, Murray had to fend off questions about being committed to football since he was talented enough to play in the MLB. Why risk getting walloped as a football player when playing baseball could lead to better long-term health?
There was then the infamous homework clause within his Cardinals contract (later deleted after the broader hubbub made the issue a major issue). Plus, some may not love the way that Murray discusses his job. He says everything right but has a nonchalance within his personality that could get twisted into being indifferent. I don’t think this is true, for the record, but some could see the way he expresses his confidence as a form of indifference.
Add it all together with injury concerns, never proving to be a winner, and a meaty money contract. Arizona considered it all alongside the regime change and opted to move on, allowing the Vikings to sign Murray for $1.3 million.
Complicating Kyler Murray’s ascent to the throne is J.J. McCarthy, somebody whom many regarded as the Vikings’ franchise quarterback a year ago.
Since then, McCarthy has worked through his own injury troubles while having some boneheaded moments with the media. Worse yet, McCarthy struggled on the field. Much of that goes back to Kevin O’Connell (I think most of the blame falls on the head coach, but that’s a topic for a different day). That being said, shifting blame around doesn’t entirely absolve McCarthy of all his football sins.
Put simply, the kid wasn’t very good. McCarthy therefore needs to get better in a hurry lest the team move on with somebody else, such as Mr. Murray.
The NFL is therefore going to see a high-profile passer battle take place in the Twin Cities. The NFL, true to form, won’t miss the opportunity to monetize such a phenomenon. Building hype on social media is part of that process.
The quarterback who wins the competition is going to be the one who allows the team to thrive. Sounds obvious, perhaps, but worth remembering. The criteria is not to choose the best quarterback. The criteria is to choose the best quarterback for helping the Vikings run roughshod on an NFL that appears happy to leave the Minnesota Vikings for dead. The Vikings welcome rookies to TCO Performance Center on Sunday, July 26th. The veterans arrive on Tuesday, July 28th.
Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.
The NFL’s Social Media Previews Murray v. McCarthy
