J.J. McCarthy wants to stay with Vikings after losing QB job

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EAGAN, Minn. -- The decision to name Kyler Murray the winner of the Minnesota Vikings' quarterback competition this week was "out of my control," former starter J.J. McCarthy said Wednesday.

"Obviously, every competitor wants to play," McCarthy said. "But moving forward, it's just about continuing to work hard and just staying ready for when my number's called."

Asked why he thought the competition was out of his control, McCarthy said: "There's so many things out of my control, like the heat today. And it's just really having the discernment to figure out which of the two [quarterbacks], and that was one of the things outside of my control. And me attacking and optimizing every opportunity, which was in my control, and that's all I was focusing on."

Coach Kevin O'Connell said Tuesday that McCarthy is now the No. 2 quarterback. But the Vikings also have veteran Carson Wentz on the roster, and a trade could become a possibility.

McCarthy, however, said his desire to remain with the Vikings -- who drafted him at No. 10 in 2024 -- hasn't changed.

"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 signed Murray in March, and O'Connell declared an open competition in response to McCarthy's difficult and injury-filled 2025 campaign. In practical terms, Murray was the heavy favorite; his uneven performance during training camp added a layer of complexity to O'Connell's decision.

While making the announcement Tuesday, O'Connell said Murray had "shown enough" and that he was enticed in part by "what could be."

McCarthy said at the start of camp he was "100%" convinced the competition would be fair and that he would have a legitimate chance to win it. Speaking Tuesday, McCarthy said he wasn't thinking about fairness "at all" during the competition.

"I couldn't control anything during," he said. "I couldn't control anything after. The only thing I could do is focus on that next rep and keep at it."

In the spring, McCarthy compared the Vikings' quarterback room to a high school classroom, where he would sit on one side of the room and Murray the other.

Asked about his relationship with Murray now, McCarthy said: "Yeah, he's just one of my teammates that I care for and respect and just like all my teammates in that locker room. So, it's about just doing whatever I can for the room and this team and moving forward."

Reporting from ESPN contributed to this story.