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J.J. McCarthy: ‘I want to be’ with Vikings

J.J. McCarthy

MIN Quarterback #9

Player Stats

When asked about his future with the Vikings, QB J.J. McCarthy said, “this is the place I want to be.”

With the Vikings naming Kyler Murray as the starter, McCarthy’s future in Minnesota is in question. The 23-year-old is entering his third season and still has plenty to work on, though losing the Week 1 starting job indicates his chances to start for the Vikings again are dwindling. When asked about his future, McCarthy stated he wants to be in Minnesota and will “continue to just do whatever [he] can for this team and this organization.” The room for error for young quarterbacks is thin in the NFL and though he is saying the right things to the media, McCarthy is a former first-rounder that may want to move on, should he have no future as a starter with the Vikings. He will start the season as the backup while the Vikings evaluate their quarterback room throughout the season; it wouldn’t be a surprise to see McCarthy depart Minnesota between now and this time next year.

- Aditya Fuldeore

Source: Kevin Seifert

More J.J. McCarthy News

Latest on Mayfield, Nacua extensions

Ross Tucker joins Dan Patrick to discuss recent NFL news with the Vikings announcing Kyler Murray as the starter, Baker Mayfield and Puka Nakua's contract talks.

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J.J. McCarthy

MIN Quarterback #9

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Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said he believes J.J. McCarthy “has a future with the organization.”

Sure, Kev. McCarthy lost the starting competition and is entering the third year of his four-year rookie contract. If he’s going to have a major future as a quarterback in the league, he almost certainly needed to beat out Murray for the starting role or (still in play) get traded somewhere where he can play this year. We’ll see what happens, but it wouldn’t be surprising if McCarthy was traded. It also wouldn’t be surprising if McCarthy requested a trade.
Kyler Murray

MIN Quarterback #1

Vikings named Kyler Murray the team’s Week 1 starter.

Though the Vikings staged what appeared to be a (short-lived) quarterback competition between Murray and JJ McCarthy, the result was likely determined from the outset. Murray and McCarthy split first-team reps for much of the offseason and into training camp, with both QBs struggling at times. There was no way the Vikings were going to pay the steep price of acquiring Murray from the Cardinals only to sit him behind McCarthy. Murray as starter is probably good news for Justin Jefferson, who last season had one of the NFL’s lowest catchable target rates. Murray should be fine as a floor-based fantasy play in Kevin O’Connell’s offense. McCarthy should still be rostered in superflex formats behind the oft-injured Murray.
Kyler Murray

MIN Quarterback #1

ESPN’s Kevin Seifert says there have been “plenty of indications that Kyler Murray remains the heavy favorite” to win the Vikings’ starting QB job.

According to Seifert, the Vikings have given Murray “roughly two-thirds of the snaps with the first-team offense in 11-on-11 drills,” while J.J. McCarthy “has spent a significant portion of his summer working with the No. 2 offense.” While reports have been up and down on Murray thus far, Seifert also suggests the gap between Murray and McCarthy remains wide after the first two weeks of camp, saying that “no objective observer to training camp could say that (McCarthy) has made up the ground necessary to truly challenge Murray” this summer. There are still two weeks left to go in camp, but it sounds like McCarthy will need a lot to go right for him to get the nod for Week 1 against the Packers.
Kyler Murray

MIN Quarterback #1

The Athletic’s Alec Lewis reports that QB Kyler Murray “took a hefty amount of snaps with the starters” on Thursday.

Per Lewis, Murray connected on a notable deep pass at one point, and ESPN’s Kevin Seifert also noted that Murray is pushing the ball downfield. Fellow Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy “spent more time with the No. 2 group” and attempted fewer downfield passes. If this is an indicator that Murray is pulling away, that’s a good thing. The sooner one quarterback begins taking all first-team reps the better.
J.J. McCarthy

MIN Quarterback #9

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport believes J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray will battle for the starting Vikings quarterback job “right up to the start of the season.”

We’ve done a lot of J.J. McCarthy blurbs this offseason and the vast majority of them from beats have McCarthy well behind Kyler Murray, while we also have a June quote from Kevin O’Connell saying “he doesn’t plan to take the competition until the end of camp.” It’s only the league-wide reporters who seem to give McCarthy much of a chance to win the job. Interesting coincidence, some would say.
Kyler Murray

MIN Quarterback #1

The Athletic’s Alec Lewis writes that Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell said “he doesn’t plan to take the [QB] competition until the end of camp.”

While Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy are both expected to enter training camp in competition for the team’s QB1 role, it sounds like O’Connell would prefer to land on a decision sooner rather than later. Murray, by all accounts, appears to be the leader in the clubhouse to open the season as the starter, but McCarthy has received praise from teammates and coaches for his improvement as a passer and his ability to throw with a little more accuracy and touch. Currently going around the late ninth/early tenth round of best ball drafts, Murray could turn out to be a nice value if he wins the job and can return to the player who finished as a top-10 fantasy QB in fantasy points per game from 2020 to 2022 under KOC.
J.J. McCarthy

MIN Quarterback #9

Sports Illustrated’s Will Ragatz said Kyler Murray’s impressive throws in OTAs “make it hard to imagine” J.J. McCarthy winning the Vikings’ QB competition.

On one hand, it’s “just” OTAs. On the other hand, this is the second reporter to suggest there’s a noticeable difference between what Murray and McCarthy offer at the position. We’re less than a full week removed from ESPN’s Kevin Seifert saying the gap between the two QBs is “not close,” and now, Ragatz is all but suggesting the same in his most recent article. While there have been reports of McCarthy making strides as a passer this offseason, the bar has been set so low after 2025’s debacle, that any marginal improvements could garner praise for JJMC at this point. We’ll get a better sense of where things really stand between Murray and McCarthy when the pads come on in training camp, but Murray continues to sound like the clearcut QB1 to start the season, despite the Vikings’ best efforts to suggest the winner of this camp battle hasn’t already been determined.
Kyler Murray

MIN Quarterback #1

ESPN’s Kevin Seifert writes that the gap between Vikings QB Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy “was not close.”

It was only the Vikings’ second OTA of the spring and first that was open to the media. Still, while the Vikings gave both quarterbacks an equal opportunity, it doesn’t sound like a real competition, according to Seifert. “Murray made all of the best throws of the practice, demonstrating his downfield touch and accuracy,” he wrote. It was a reminder that McCarthy could continue making incremental improvements and still fall short of being able to match Murray, according to Seifert. A former Pro Bowler who led the Cardinals to the playoffs in 2021, Murray is being drafted outside the top-12 quarterbacks as he looks to bounce back in his first season with the Vikings.
J.J. McCarthy

MIN Quarterback #9

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Vikings coaches believe QB J.J. McCarthy “has made improvements” as a passer.

McCarthy “has shown some things this spring that have been impressive so far.” Specifically, McCarthy is “layering the ball a little better” and is “not throwing a fastball all the time.” McCarthy’s accuracy and touch needed work, so this is good to hear. It still sounds like QB Kyler Murray is ahead of McCarthy in the battle for the starting role, but McCarthy is at least getting positive reviews at this time.
J.J. McCarthy

MIN Quarterback #9

The Athletic’s Alec Lewis believes the Vikings will measure QB J.J. McCarthy’s development by assessing his accuracy, touch and consistency this summer.

Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell attempted to address McCarthy’s accuracy woes by harping on the young quarterback’s footwork last season. He also tends to fire passes “on a line,” which only exacerbates his ball placement issues. Per Lewis, McCarthy has spent weeks with private throwing coach John Beck to improve both issues. Time will tell if Beck’s teachings have the desired effect. Lastly, Lewis believes that the way “McCarthy shows up to work every day and how his habits progress in his third season” is the final piece to the puzzle. The Vikings want their 2026 starter, be it McCarthy or QB Kyler Murray, “to lift the tide for the entire team.” McCarthy has been fully unable to do so thus far. Despite being the incumbent, McCarthy is currently viewed as the underdog in this summer’s quarterback battle. Avoid him in spring drafts for now.

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Elandon Roberts

PIT Linebacker #52
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Steelers signed LB Elandon Roberts, formerly of the Raiders, to a one-year contract.

Roberts played with the Steelers from 2023-2024, starting 29 games and tallying 147 combined tackles with 3.5 sacks in that span. The 31-year-old started 16 games for the Raiders last season and now returns to Pittsburgh to be a veteran presence in the middle of the defense. With Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson the listed starters at linebacker, Roberts will need to compete for snaps to stick on the Steelers roster this season.
- Aditya Fuldeore

Transaction

Source: Adam Schefter
Las Vegas Raiders
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Darren Waller

CAR Tight End #83
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Panthers signed TE Darren Waller, formerly of the Dolphins, to a one-year contract.

Waller returned from retirement to play in nine games for the Dolphins last season. He hauled in 24-of-34 targets for 283 and six touchdowns before a groin injury ended his season prior to Week 18. The 33-year-old has a chance at being a red zone target for the Panthers, who previously had Tommy Tremble, Mitchell Evans, and Ja’Tavion Sanders listed at tight end. Waller brings veteran experience as a late add who should get enough usage to make him an option as a low-end TE2 for fantasy purposes.
- Aditya Fuldeore

Transaction

Source: Adam Schefter
Miami Dolphins
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Jadarian Price

SEA Running Back #8
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Seahawks RB Jadarian Price (soreness) returned to practice Wednesday.

The Seahawks held a walkthrough on Wednesday and Price was on the practice field for the first time in five practices. The News Tribune’s Gregg Bell reports he was walking through with the starting offense. Good news for fantasy managers as Price’s injury looks to still be soreness and nothing more. It is just a walkthrough practice, but fantasy managers shouldn’t expect this soreness management to impact his Week 1 status.
- Aditya Fuldeore

Source: Gregg Bell

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Skylar Thompson

BAL Quarterback #11
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Ravens placed QB Skylar Thompson on injured reserve.

Thompson signed with the Ravens in the offseason but dealt with an undisclosed injury in training camp. He heads to injured reserve, likely ending his season; he and the team may reach an injury settlement in the coming days. The Ravens signed former UFL quarterback Austin Reed in his place. Reed figures to get some game time during preseason as the team’s fourth-string quarterback.
- Aditya Fuldeore

Source: Baltimore Ravens
Austin Reed
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J.J. McCarthy

MIN Quarterback #9
Player Stats

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When asked about his future with the Vikings, QB J.J. McCarthy said, “this is the place I want to be.”

With the Vikings naming Kyler Murray as the starter, McCarthy’s future in Minnesota is in question. The 23-year-old is entering his third season and still has plenty to work on, though losing the Week 1 starting job indicates his chances to start for the Vikings again are dwindling. When asked about his future, McCarthy stated he wants to be in Minnesota and will “continue to just do whatever [he] can for this team and this organization.” The room for error for young quarterbacks is thin in the NFL and though he is saying the right things to the media, McCarthy is a former first-rounder that may want to move on, should he have no future as a starter with the Vikings. He will start the season as the backup while the Vikings evaluate their quarterback room throughout the season; it wouldn’t be a surprise to see McCarthy depart Minnesota between now and this time next year.
- Aditya Fuldeore

Source: Kevin Seifert

More J.J. McCarthy News
Deshaun Watson

CLE Quarterback #4
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ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Deshaun Watson will start the Browns’ preseason opener against the Bears.

Per Schefter, Todd Monken informed the quarterbacks this afternoon that Watson will get the first preseason start and Shedeur Sanders will draw the second. He will face Buffalo. We don’t want to read too much into the order of the starts, but it’s at least somewhat notable that Watson is first in line. The next two preseason games will likely determine Cleveland’s Week 1 starter. Neither option will do the Browns’ pass-catchers any favors for fantasy purposes.
- Kyle Dvorchak

Source: Adam Schefter
Shedeur Sanders
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Eli Apple

SF Cornerback #30
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49ers signed CB Eli Apple.

The 49ers cut Apple a week ago but are bringing him back a day before their preseason opener. He will be a depth option for the team versus the Titans on Thursday.
- Kyle Dvorchak

Transaction

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Hassan Haskins

NE Running Back #28
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Patriots signed Hassan Haskins, formerly of the Chargers.

Haskins appeared in a dozen games for the Chargers last year. He only saw 17 carries, which he turned into 45 yards, but did tally over 150 special teams snaps. That could ultimately be his path to a roster spot in New England.
- Kyle Dvorchak

Source: Adam Schefter
Los Angeles Chargers
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Zamir White

SF Running Back #3
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49ers signed Zamir White, formerly of the Raiders.

White only appeared in six games for the Raiders last year. He logged a dozen carries for 32 yards. With Kaelon Black, Jordan James, Isaac Guerendo, and Christian McCaffrey all banged up, the 49ers desperately need another warm body as they head into their first preseason contest. White could even see some run versus the Titans tomorrow, though he is still a long-shot to make the 53-man roster at the end of camp.
- Kyle Dvorchak

Transaction

Source: Adam Schefter
Las Vegas Raiders
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Michael Penix

ATL Quarterback #9
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Michael Penix said his doctor told him he has “an amazing ACL” and he should “never have any more knee problems for the rest of your career.”

This is not parody, somehow. Penix infamously tore his right ACL twice while in college and then suffered a partial tear in his left ACL last year. The totally real doctor was presumably referring to his left knee. Penix, who hasn’t participated in team drills during training camp, later added that the only thing he can’t do in practice right now is take a hit. Last we checked, that is a major part of the game of football. Meanwhile, Tua Tagovailoa is slated to start the team’s preseason opener versus Denver later this week. Penix doesn’t seem to have much of a shot at being the Week 1 starter given his slow recovery, but the leash on Tua will be short. Penix remains the favorite to start more games this year, though only by a narrow margin.
- Kyle Dvorchak

Source: D. Orlando Ledbetter

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