Ted Schwerzler: J.J. McCarthy’s Fall Isn’t Done Yet
Last season, the Minnesota Vikings opted against an established veteran to hedge their bets on J.J. McCarthy coming off a lost season. Daniel Jones was the closest thing to doing so, but he wasn’t given assurances that a starting role was going to be possible.
Now, after watching McCarthy continue to be injured and ineffective, a change of the guard is necessary. Not only are the Vikings going to shake up the quarterback room, but how far McCarthy is pushed down the ladder could certainly be a surprise.
Minnesota Still Has Work To Do at Quarterback
Kyler Murray is the popular, and probably the best, name to suggest as Kevin O’Connell’s next starter. That position could also be manned by someone like Kirk Cousins, Aaron Rodgers, or Geno Smith. What is certain is that none of those additions will be brought in with the belief that they won’t start.
When asked for our hot takes going into free agency, McCarthy’s positioning is absolutely where I went. Not only do I have little belief that he’ll be a backup, but I don’t expect the Vikings to allow him to be THE backup either.
Assuming that Murray is the acquired starting quarterback, I expect he’ll be one of two moves made this offseason. Last year, Minnesota watched Sam Howell struggle during the preseason, only to roll with him right up until days before the season started. Carson Wentz proved an infinitely better option, and could have been even better-positioned with more time to acclimate.
After adding the starter, Kevin O’Connell should be expected to add a veteran backup as well. Someone like Marcus Mariota, Jimmy Garoppolo, or Mitch Trubisky makes a ton of sense. Those guys have all seen plenty of action and know the league. If forced into action behind Murray in the middle of a game, they certainly wouldn’t be nervous.
Rather than let McCarthy be just one step removed from game snaps, the Vikings should guard themselves and let him develop behind the scenes as their QB3. Along those lines, it doesn’t make as much sense for O’Connell to spend time working his magic with someone like Trey Lance or Zach Wilson in conjunction with the project he already has.
Minnesota needs to right the quarterback room. An established starter and a backup that isn’t McCarthy are the path towards doing that.
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