Former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen offered a straightforward assessment of the team’s quarterback battle Monday during an appearance on “NFL Live.”
Training camp is in full swing for the Vikings, with the primary focus resting on the competition at signal-caller between J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray.
Both quarterbacks enter the contest with motivation. Murray was released by the Arizona Cardinals in the offseason and aims to demonstrate he remains a capable NFL starter rather than a backup option.
McCarthy, who has started only a limited number of games, seeks to establish himself as the franchise quarterback for Minnesota.
Thielen addressed the situation directly while discussing the early stages of camp and the preseason.
“I think it’s Kyler Murray’s job right now,” Thielen said. “But if J.J. McCarthy comes in and shows what he wasn’t doing well last year, he could win that job. First of all, when you see J.J. in person and you’re around him, you want to be around him.”
“He’s a great leader [and] fun to be around. He’s just a guy that everyone loves. At the end of the day, they drafted him in the first round, and they want him to have success. So if he comes in and shows it, he could win that job. But right now, it’s Kyler’s job.”
Thielen indicated that Murray currently holds the advantage in the competition. He also pointed out that the presence of the veteran creates a positive challenge for McCarthy.
The former first-round selection must now perform under pressure after previously receiving the starting role without a true battle.
“You bring in a guy who has had a ton of success in this league,” Thielen said. “He has experience, and now it takes the keys away from J.J. McCarthy. He has to go earn it now. Last year, he didn’t have to earn it. That’s not his fault, but he didn’t have to earn it. He was handed the keys. Here’s your team. We’ve got a great defense. You’ve got great weapons. Let’s see what happens. Now it’s like, ‘Okay, we have competition.’ He knows from last year what he needs to get better at.”
“He knows exactly what he has to do because he had a year to see what he could and couldn’t do, and what he did and didn’t do well. Now he gets to show and prove it in training camp in a competition that forces you to be at your very best because, if you’re not, it’s over.”
Turning to Murray’s fit within the system, Thielen described a brief discussion he had with Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell following the quarterback’s arrival. That exchange highlighted elements of Murray’s game that align with O’Connell’s scheme.
“I had a quick conversation with Kevin and asked a few questions about when Kyler signed,” Thielen said. “The first thing he said made sense to me because, looking back at it now, Kyler actually plays on time more than people think.”
“When you go back and watch the tape, you realize he doesn’t automatically start scrambling around and throwing the ball all over the field. If you watch his tape, he throws the ball on time a lot more often. One, two, three, the ball’s out.”
The competition is expected to intensify through the remainder of training camp and the preseason as both players seek to claim the starting position.
