J.J. McCarthy Fantasy Stats

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy said losing the QB competition to Kyler Murray was "out of my control" and that he wants to stay with the organization, according to Kevin Seifert of ESPN. With veteran signal-caller Carson Wentz also on the roster, a trade could become a possibility. "This is the place I want to be," McCarthy said. "And I love every single person in this building. I love the state. I love the fanbase. And I'm going to continue to just do whatever I can for this team and this organization." The Vikings drafted McCarthy with the 10th overall pick in 2024 out of the University of Michigan. He missed his entire rookie season after having knee surgery, and he started only 10 games last year while dealing with injuries. Murray was the heavy favorite to win the QB job in Minnesota this year after McCarthy threw 11 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions last season. If Murray stays healthy and rebounds in the Vikings' offense, McCarthy's best path back to fantasy relevance might be a trade out of town.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy lost out to Kyler Murray in the battle for the starting job in training camp this summer, but head coach Kevin O'Connell said he believes McCarthy "has a future with the organization," according to Kevin Seifert of ESPN. The 23-year-old former 10th overall pick from the University of Michigan missed his entire rookie season in 2024 after having knee surgery, and he struggled mightily in just 10 games started last year in his first season in the starting role, completing 57.6% of his pass attempts for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. His struggles prompted the Vikes to sign Murray to a one-year deal in free agency in the offseason. Minnesota officially named Murray as their QB1 on Tuesday. For now, McCarthy will sit and learn behind Murray, but his next opportunity could come sooner rather than later if Murray's injury issues from a year ago resurface. For now, though, McCarthy is undraftable in redraft leagues, and his fantasy stock in dynasty/keeper formats has reached a new low.

During the team's Sunday Night practice, Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy had the upper hand over veteran Kyler Murray. McCarthy got off to a red-hot start but cooled off at the end, while Murray threw multiple interceptions. This quarterback controversy appeared to be heading in the former Cardinals quarterback's favor in recent days, but McCarthy is making it interesting as both push to be the starter for the 2026 season. In five games last season, Murray threw for 962 yards, with six touchdowns and three interceptions, while McCarthy was an interception machine, throwing 17 in 10 games. Although Murray remains the favorite to win the job, both quarterbacks will need to perform in the preseason to be the Week 1 starter.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy is off to a hot start during Sunday's practice. According to Will Ragatz, McCarthy is looking strong and made an impressive throw to Myles Price to the left side during 7-on-7 drills. It seems like the Vikings are committed to having McCarthy and Kyler Murray compete for the starting gig in training camp. Over the last week, McCarthy was doing more work as the No. 2 quarterback, but his strong play on Sunday could help his argument to become the starter. The Vikings obviously want to wait and see how the quarterbacks do in preseason game action before they make a final decision. Murray remains the favorite to start with McCarthy still needing some time to develop.

Minnesota Vikings quarterbacks J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray split snaps with the first-team offense evenly through the first seven practices of training camp during their competition. However, McCarthy has now spent a "significant portion" of camp working with the No. 2 offense against the No. 1 defense, and beneath the surface, there have been "plenty of indications that Murray remains the heavy favorite to win the job," according to Kevin Seifert of ESPN. Both signal-callers have had their up-and-down moments, but the Vikings have given Murray around two-thirds of the snaps with the first-team offense in 11-on-11 drills. Unless the usage reverses in the coming week, Seifert thinks it's hard to imagine McCarthy winning the job while mostly working with the second team. McCarthy's passes have mostly been in the short and intermediate range, with less frequent deep attempts than Murray. The Vikings still want to develop McCarthy after his rough go as the starter in 2025, but now that Murray is in town, they don't have to rush it. Nothing is official yet, but it would be a surprise for McCarthy to be named Minnesota's Week 1 starter under center at this point.

The Minnesota Vikings quarterback battle between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy saw its first clear, decisive win during the first four days of camp. The veteran who signed from the Arizona Cardinals had a great day, hitting star wide receiver Justin Jefferson several times and rarely seeing the ball hit the ground during practice. While McCarthy has played well during the first three days of camp, he was shaky on Saturday. While Murray missed most of the 2025 season with a foot injury, McCarthy struggled mightily, throwing 17 interceptions in 10 games. Murray likely holds the edge in this quarterback battle, but the young quarterback should have ample opportunities to win the starting job in Minnesota.

Minnesota Vikings quarterbacks Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy will both receive first-team and second-team repetitions as the competition for the starting job begins in training camp, according to Alec Lewis. Head coach Kevin O'Connell met with every quarterback over the past day and said he has a timeline in place for naming the starter so the team and players have clarity, though he did not reveal a date. Minnesota used a similar rotation during minicamp, and the team has cautioned against drawing conclusions from which quarterback receives more first-team work on a particular day. McCarthy completed 140 of 243 passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions across 10 starts in 2025 while adding 181 rushing yards and four scores. Murray was limited to five games with Arizona, completing 110 of 161 attempts for 962 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions while rushing for 173 yards and one touchdown. The planned rotation confirms that neither quarterback has secured the job, leaving both with considerable fantasy uncertainty until O'Connell makes his decision.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy struggled in his first chance to be an NFL starter in 2025. McCarthy missed seven games due to ankle, concussion, and hand issues and finished the year with 1,632 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Minnesota brought in some significant competition for McCarthy in free agency, signing veteran quarterback Kyler Murray. Given Murray's established track record from his time with the Arizona Cardinals, it wouldn't be a surprise if McCarthy is limited to QB2 duties in 2026. However, the Vikings reportedly plan to allow the battle between Murray and McCarthy to run through training camp and the preseason. McCarthy is just 23 years old, and Minnesota could still view him as a key piece of the team's future. McCarthy also brings some fantasy juice with his legs, as he rushed for 181 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games last season. With his value at a low point, McCarthy could be a worthy buy-low candidate for dynasty managers.

The Minnesota Vikings quarterback competition is set to go "right up to the start" of the 2026 regular season, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The Vikings acquired veteran Kyler Murray over the offseason to compete with incumbent signal-caller J.J. McCarthy, who battled both injuries and underperformance in 2025. Murray was limited to just five games in 2025 by a foot injury and has struggled with inconsistency himself in recent seasons. However, he's demonstrated a much higher ceiling than McCarthy to this point in their respective careers and was a productive dual-threat quarterback as recently as 2024, when he threw for 3,851 yards and 21 touchdowns while rushing for 572 yards and five scores. Fantasy managers with an interest in Vikings wide receivers Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and/or Jauan Jennings may be better served if Murray wins the job, as the veteran quarterback likely offers the higher floor. Still, McCarthy is only entering his age-23 season and could be a higher-upside option.

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell wouldn't shed much light on where the quarterback competition stands between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show with training camp quickly approaching later this month, according to NFL.com's Nick Shook. "Kyler has come in and done a great job," O'Connell said. "J.J., I think, has benefited from it; he's had a really good spring. Carson Wentz is this veteran quarterback in the room," O'Connell said. Some believe that Murray is already the favorite to win the starting job, but O'Connell isn't going to admit it before camp even begins. Murray, 28, flamed out with the Arizona Cardinals and is no stranger to injury, but given his experience and dual-threat abilities, he makes sense as the QB1 to begin the 2026 regular season, and he will have clear bounce-back potential in a better offensive situation in Minnesota with a QB whisperer as his new head coach. In fantasy, Murray is the much more intriguing QB2 option with upside because of his rushing ability. RotoBaller has Murray ranked as the QB19, with McCarthy not even listed among the top-34 signal-callers.