The arrival of Kyler Murray to the Minnesota Vikings immediately caused J.J. McCarthy to lose ground as the starter. However, Kevin O’Connell wants there to be competition between McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer to see who earns the backup role.
“I want those guys feeling like they’re competing,” the head coach said Wednesday, via video from VikingzFanPage. “The philosophy around making our quarterback room competitive and allow that to rise to the standard of not only our team but our offense.“
O’Connell also added: “We want Carson feeling like he can do the things consistently that he can do, that we know exactly who and what he is, and we want J.J. feeling like I’m one step away, and I have to prepare like the starter anyway. It’s easy to say those things, but we wanted to have a room that forced it. We’ll see these next couple of weeks play out. We’re going to do what’s best for our team.”
McCarthy’s first preseason game
The Vikings already had their first test, earning a 13-10 victory over the New York Giants. McCarthy played 17 snaps, completing 4 of 7 passes for 34 yards. The Vikings scored no points on his three drives.
Darius Alexander #91 of the New York Giants tackles J.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings.
More tests ahead for Minnesota’s QBs
Kevin O’Connell still has two more challenges to help determine the order within his QB room. McCarthy, Wentz, and Brosmer will look to add snaps and potentially position themselves behind Murray.
Week 2 of the preseason will see the Vikings host the Baltimore Ravens at U.S. Bank Stadium on Saturday, August 22. Finally, Minnesota will travel to Colorado to face the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High on Friday, August 28.
A challenging schedule ahead for Minnesota
Kyler Murray will be tasked with leading a team that wants to emerge as a contender in the NFC North from the outset. It will not be an easy task, as Minnesota faces a challenging start to the season.
- Week 1, at Green Bay Packers – September 13
- Week 2, vs Chicago Bears – September 20
- Week 3, vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers – September 27
- Week 4, at Miami Dolphins – October 4
- Week 5, vs New Orleans Saints – October 11
