Kyler Murray should be the favorite to win the starting QB job
· Yahoo Sports
The Minnesota Vikings are trying to convince everyone that there will be a quarterback competition between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy this spring and summer. However, you don't have to look to hard (or think too hard) before determining Murray will likely be the starter.
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Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report doesn't buy Kevin O'Connell's comments about not needing to name the starting quarterback in March. And although O'Connell isn't obligated to give us that information, Davenport believes the competition has as much suspense as a daytime drama.
Let's just put it out there. At his worst, Murray has played at a higher level than what we saw from McCarthy last year.
McCarthy was 31st in the NFL in passing yards per game last year despite throwing to arguably the NFL's best wide receiver in Justin Jefferson. He was 33rd in adjusted yards per attempt at 5.40 and 31st in QBR, trailing Joe Flacco.
McCarthy's bad-throw percentage was the second-highest in the NFL, per Pro Football Reference. His on-target percentage was dead last.
McCarthy played one good quarter of football against the Chicago Bears in Week 1. Outside of that, he was mostly bad.
It's possible that McCarthy has some deep untapped potential, but everyone essentially knows how this "competition" is going to end.
It would take a seismic developmental leap from McCarthy to surpass Murray in the competition. Murray has been to two Pro Bowls and is a former first overall pick.
Even though McCarthy was the 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft, he was still the fifth quarterback taken.
Murray has had his struggles, but he has had much more sustained success than anything McCarthy put together last year. That's not to say McCarthy can't or won't improve, but he isn't trying to beat out a career backup.
O'Connell may be able to play the "quarterback competition" card during the spring, but it will likely become obvious early in training camp whether or not Murray is the full-time starter based on practice reps. If he's taking a majority, if not all, the snaps, then the competition is over.
And that's why the Vikings brought Murray in. Not to be a backup, but to get Minnesota's offense back to the level it had performed at through O'Connell's first three years.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Analyst: Kyler Murray should be the favorite to win the starting role