The Minnesota Vikings‘ decision to let Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones go came back to haunt them.
J.J. McCarthy missed seven games with multiple injuries, and he didn’t look ready to start when he was healthy. That’s why it made perfect sense to go after Kyler Murray as soon as the Arizona Cardinals released him. Considering that, team legend Cris Carter thinks the quarterback competition might already be settled.
Cris Carter expects Kyler Murray to start over J.J. McCarthy
“Kevin O’Connell has proven with this offense when he’s had a healthy QB, he’s been able to win 12, 13, 14 games during the regular season,” Carter told Heavy in an exclusive interview.
The former Vikings star still wouldn’t shut the door on McCarthy having an opportunity at one point. However, the job should be Murray’s to lose at the beginning.
“J.J. McCarthy, he’s still going to get an opportunity because most quarterbacks aren’t going to stay healthy for 17 games, so there will be an opportunity for him not only to learn and get better, but also to watch and learn from a guy like Kyler Murray,” added Carter. “But I’d expect Kyler to be the starter this season.”
There has been some speculation about whether the Vikings would consider trading their young quarterback to commit to Murray with a multiyear deal. That should be a realistic possibility, but not now. They gave up too much to get him in the top 10 just two years ago, and Murray still has to prove himself after an injury-riddled and inconsistent tenure in Arizona, as talented as he is.