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Kyle Brandt thinks that J.J. McCarthy never had a realistic chance to beat Kyler Murray for the Minnesota Vikings’ starting quarterback job.
Minnesota officially named Murray its NFL Week 1 starter, ending a quarterback battle that attracted significant attention throughout training camp. Brandt argued the decision was effectively made when the Vikings signed Murray.
“This was never a competition,” Brandt said on Good Morning Football. “This was perfunctory at best. This was a charade at worst.”
MORE: Kevin O’Connell explains J.J. McCarthy’s future with the Vikings
Brandt questioned whether anyone should have been surprised by Minnesota’s decision. He said that Murray’s talent and experience created a gap that McCarthy could not overcome.
“This was never a thing,” Brandt said. “… You don’t have a quarterback competition and then call it before you even play a single preseason game. Was Kyler the best training camp quarterback of all time, and he just forced their hand? No, they called it because they called it months ago.
“This is the second you bring in Kyler Murray and his level of talent and experience and the disparity in experience and also talent between J.J. McCarthy, it’s over. The second you start seeing other people, the marriage is over, and this has been over.”
McCarthy entered the offseason needing a strong showing after an uneven first NFL season. He completed 57.6% of his passes with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions across 10 starts in 2025.
Arlington, Texas, USA; Former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) looks on at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Brandt thinks Minnesota made the correct football decision by choosing Murray. The veteran quarterback brings a different skill set that could expand Kevin O’Connell’s offensive options.
“This is the right call by the Vikings,” Brandt said. “Of course you make this call.”
He also pushed back against criticism of Murray’s size. “Kyler Murray is an unbelievable specimen,” Brandt said. “I think he runs a four-four. I think he has like, I don’t know, a top seven or eight arm.”
That combination gives Minnesota a quarterback capable of creating plays outside structure. It also gives O’Connell another weapon alongside Justin Jefferson and a talented offensive supporting cast.
MORE: J.J. McCarthy’s next move after Vikings name Kyler Murray starter
Brandt compared Murray’s situation to his arrival in Arizona. The Cardinals selected Josh Rosen 10th overall in 2018 before abandoning that plan one year later to draft Murray first overall.
“They just dumped him completely because Kyler Murray was coming out,” Brandt said. “They’re like, ‘I want that.’”
For McCarthy, the immediate challenge becomes earning opportunities behind Murray. Minnesota’s decision also puts greater pressure on McCarthy to show why the franchise once viewed him as its quarterback of the future.
— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —
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Minnesota officially named Murray its NFL Week 1 starter, ending a quarterback battle that attracted significant attention throughout training camp. Brandt argued the decision was effectively made when the Vikings signed Murray.
“This was never a competition,” Brandt said on Good Morning Football. “This was perfunctory at best. This was a charade at worst.”
MORE: Kevin O’Connell explains J.J. McCarthy’s future with the Vikings
Brandt questioned whether anyone should have been surprised by Minnesota’s decision. He said that Murray’s talent and experience created a gap that McCarthy could not overcome.
“This was never a thing,” Brandt said. “… You don’t have a quarterback competition and then call it before you even play a single preseason game. Was Kyler the best training camp quarterback of all time, and he just forced their hand? No, they called it because they called it months ago.
“This is the second you bring in Kyler Murray and his level of talent and experience and the disparity in experience and also talent between J.J. McCarthy, it’s over. The second you start seeing other people, the marriage is over, and this has been over.”
McCarthy entered the offseason needing a strong showing after an uneven first NFL season. He completed 57.6% of his passes with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions across 10 starts in 2025.
Kyler Murray’s talent changed Vikings’ quarterback plan
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Arlington, Texas, USA; Former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) looks on at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Brandt thinks Minnesota made the correct football decision by choosing Murray. The veteran quarterback brings a different skill set that could expand Kevin O’Connell’s offensive options.
“This is the right call by the Vikings,” Brandt said. “Of course you make this call.”
He also pushed back against criticism of Murray’s size. “Kyler Murray is an unbelievable specimen,” Brandt said. “I think he runs a four-four. I think he has like, I don’t know, a top seven or eight arm.”
That combination gives Minnesota a quarterback capable of creating plays outside structure. It also gives O’Connell another weapon alongside Justin Jefferson and a talented offensive supporting cast.
MORE: J.J. McCarthy’s next move after Vikings name Kyler Murray starter
Brandt compared Murray’s situation to his arrival in Arizona. The Cardinals selected Josh Rosen 10th overall in 2018 before abandoning that plan one year later to draft Murray first overall.
“They just dumped him completely because Kyler Murray was coming out,” Brandt said. “They’re like, ‘I want that.’”
For McCarthy, the immediate challenge becomes earning opportunities behind Murray. Minnesota’s decision also puts greater pressure on McCarthy to show why the franchise once viewed him as its quarterback of the future.
— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —
Continue reading...
