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Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell has a good problem on his hands as JJ McCarthy and Kyler Murray are battling for the main quarterback position. Having two talented signal-callers competing for the starting spot is not new in the NFL, and O’Connell knows how to handle it.
McCarthy is still finding his footing after two injury-riddled campaigns. After missing his rookie year, he only played 10 games last season, tallying a 6-4 record and passing for 1,632 yards and 11 touchdowns.
While he certainly had his moments, the 23-year-old McCarthy has yet to live up to his potential as the No. 10 pick.
Murray signed a one-year deal with the Vikings in March, hoping to resuscitate his once-promising career. He only played five games for the Arizona Cardinals, which drafted him as the No. 1 pick in 2019, due to a fractured foot.
In a report from The Minnesota Star Tribune’s Emily Leiker, O’Connell said he wants McCarthy and Murray “to be open.”
“I want them to be honest. It’s all part of having a transparent (quarterback) competition that allows these guys to truly demonstrate that they can consistently be the same guy every day and stack really good days,” explained O’Connell.
Aside from the open dialogue between his players, the former Coach of the Year stressed the importance of buying into the team’s culture.
McCarthy admitted that he and Murray sit on opposite sides of the quarterback room.
“There’s no hiding anything. It’s gonna be displayed on the field. Their teammates, their coaching staff, and the guys in this building have to feel conviction about the direction we go, and you do that by your daily habits and just improving,” added O’Connell.
The Vikings will look to return to the playoffs after missing the bus last season with a 9-8 record.
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