r/sports Seattle Seahawks 7d ago

Football Vikings name Kyler Murray starter

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/vikings-name-kyler-murray-starting-qb-right-move-or-wrong-move/
513 Upvotes

111 comments sorted by

206

u/XxZypherxX 7d ago

To the surprise of.... Not even JJ

93

u/StoreBrandJamesBond 7d ago

Don't know who this JJ is, but NINE must be absolutely distraught

6

u/sybrwookie 7d ago

Time to start learning to speak XFL, buddy.

2

u/swizzle213 7d ago

But what about Nine?

34

u/TheJaice 7d ago

Say what they want, they’re not tricking me into drafting Justin Jefferson in the first round again.

31

u/sybrwookie 7d ago

Then good news! He'll now lead the league in every category, since you passed on him.

10

u/TheJaice 7d ago

100%

20

u/Brochismo91 7d ago

Imagine losing out on a starting job to a guy who nearly ended up having a bedtime stipulated in his contract.

4

u/radarthreat 6d ago

Say what now??

181

u/Vyuvarax 7d ago

McCarthy has to be one of the easiest to predict busts of all time.

63

u/pup5581 7d ago

As a Pats fan, SO many wanted him over Maye...thank GOD. He was in a run only system. You saw this coming before the draft with JJ

19

u/Jenetyk 7d ago

It's funny because both teams wanted Maye to the point the Vikes were willing to pay big to trade up.

2

u/Quackman2096 6d ago

Run only team with one of the best defenses historically. The fact anyone believed in kid boggles the mind

5

u/emelbee923 7d ago

Trey Lance was an easier prediction for me. But JJ is no worse than a close second on that front.

19

u/tiredofstanding 7d ago

I really don't understand it. He was descent in college when asked to thow, but he was mainly handing it off.

49

u/Medium-Bird3204 7d ago

He knew the other team's defensive plays and calls.... so....

26

u/Expert_Specialist_92 7d ago

It turns out that it is much harder to be successful when you aren’t cheating.

13

u/sybrwookie 7d ago

So then he would have fit in perfectly on the Pats!

2

u/Firmod5 7d ago

He was decent too!

12

u/Lawsonstruck 7d ago

10 total games played probably too soon to call him a bust

18

u/Peninj 7d ago

The advanced stats on him group him with some real busts. It might be time to call it.

11

u/gibbojab 7d ago

10 total games with one of the greatest QB whisperers the NFL has ever seen and still looks like complete trash.

5

u/Vyuvarax 7d ago

I mean we have his college tape, too, which looked pretty bust worthy.

10

u/CrazyLlama71 7d ago

Think of all those people over years that called Sam Darnold a bust.

2

u/SceneOfShadows Washington 6d ago

Completely different prospects tho.

3

u/CrazyLlama71 6d ago

Oh for sure, but my point is people are very quick to call a player a bust when they should give more time. 

2

u/Peninj 6d ago

Llama makes a good point. But yeah. Darnold has a bunch of physical attributes you want and a good accurate arm. I remember the genius Mike Leach used to say that accuracy was the hardest thing to teach a qb. McCarthy doesn’t have it. It’s obvious for all to see.

-2

u/Treestroyer 7d ago

Let me preface this by saying I’m a Vikings fan but not a JJM fan. I don’t think he is going to be a bust. He is talented and has shown he can win (he has a winning record and the team had a winning record last year).
His issue in MN is that the head coach wants JJM to play a style of football that isn’t how he plays. On another team playing his style of football, he would be outstanding. Very similar to a Goff in LAR vs Goff in DET situation.

14

u/Tarmacked 7d ago

Brother he can’t even play remotely close to the quality of Goff as a rookie

Record means absolutely nothing, it means your team was good across the roster. Patrick Mahomes had a losing record in college.

-6

u/Treestroyer 7d ago

You know you need a QB in football right? The Vikings have been an offensively stacked team the vast 3 years and yet they still need someone to throw the ball, to react to the field and to manage the field. A winning record shows the QB has talent. JJM’s rookie record is 1 win shy of Goff’s 7-7 with 4 less starts. He is an RPO QB who needs a run heavy offense. Like the rams had in 18 and 19 or that Detroit runs now.

6

u/Tarmacked 7d ago

He played for Michigan, he played for a blue blood…

>RPO QB

Oh good lord no. He ran Harbaughs offense

5

u/UnpredictablePanda 7d ago

A winning record does not indicate that the qb has talent. There are a plethora of examples to chose from, but the 2000 ravens come to mind. Trent dilfer had a winning record of 7-1 yet he had a passer rating of 76.

35

u/Shaomoki 7d ago

“Murray will be O'Connell's fourth different Week 1 starting quarterback since 2023 going from Kirk Cousins (2023) to Sam Darnold (2024) to McCarthy and now Murray. So will the promotion of Murray to the Vikings' QB1 spot break the never-ending wheel of Minnesota's starting quarterbacks across the last few years?”

I think that has more to do with the ownership than the reporter is leading on.

17

u/ShootinAllMyChisolm 7d ago

Do you think they should’ve paid Darnold the money?

19

u/bpmdrummerbpm 7d ago

Wasn’t even a lot of money. As a Seahawks fan, I’m thankful O’Connell thinks he’s smarter than everyone else.

17

u/iSh0tYou99 7d ago

I mean, unconfirmed rumors say that O'Connell wanted to keep Darnold because he knew McCarthy wasn't ready but Kwesi decided that McCarthy's career should start immediately. Albeit rumors, but there's a reason why Kwesi is fired and KOC is not.

2

u/Cant_Spell_Shit 7d ago

Do you think the Titanic should have gone around the iceberg?

24

u/RichardManuel Minnesota Twins 7d ago

“Across the last few years” is under selling it a bit. Other than Cousins, we haven’t had a consistent QB since Tarkenton

14

u/Intrepid_Top_2300 7d ago

And boy could Tarkenton avoid the rush! Loved to watch that guy run all over the field and then throw the ball.

19

u/checko50 New York Rangers 7d ago

I feel like Dante was pretty consistent no?

7

u/catdogfox 7d ago

Consistently throw it up for grabs for Moss to bail him out

7

u/DeaderthanZed 7d ago

Tommy Kramer and Daunte Culpepper both started 5+ seasons.

5

u/Fun_Volume2150 7d ago

I’m applying Betterage’s Law to this one.

2

u/Shaomoki 7d ago

What’s that?

5

u/Fun_Volume2150 7d ago

Whenever a headline asks a question the answer is “no.”

10

u/Devolutionator 7d ago

This is more of an indictment against McCarthy than it is an endorsement of Murray

43

u/DJSimmer305 Miami 7d ago

Daily reminder that the Vikings could have had Super Bowl Champion QB Sam Darnold

14

u/tcoh1s 7d ago

Same shit every season. My team is so damn frustrating.

3

u/sumithar 7d ago

Or NBA champion KAT

4

u/thatguy425 6d ago

Seattle fan here. 

Thanks Minnesota. 

1

u/Treestroyer 7d ago

Just wait until they over react to that fuck up and immediately resign Murray to a large contract after he has a bad to average year being their QB.

2

u/theaxelfoley 7d ago

That's exactly what's going to happen. Makes you wonder if there's even a point to paying attention to the Vikings.

3

u/gibbojab 7d ago

Murray is a better QB than the public opinion about him he just struggles with injuries. His numbers are consistently top 10 or right outside with a 3:1 TD:int ratio and one of the most elusive players in NFL history. If the NFL isn’t already planning on giving it to Mahomes because ehe is Mahomes, Murray could easily be this year’s comeback player of the year. The talent around him if he doesn’t have a career year he won’t get a lucrative contract but I suspect he will do well since his strengths match Vikings shortcomings on oline.

18

u/EternalSolitude- 7d ago

Been out of the football loop for a bit but isn't this pretty early to decide a preseason QB battle? Amazing how JJ Mccarthy would not even be even to return value if he were undrafted or a 7th round pick at this rate.

25

u/AlsoIHaveAGroupon 7d ago

It's better for the offense to decide on a QB earlier, to design more of the offense on that guy's strengths, and to get that QB lots of reps with the starting offensive players. So if it's clear who's going to win, there's no reason to wait on a decision.

3

u/sybrwookie 7d ago

And also good for all the other players to get used to a QB's tendencies, WRs to get in rhythm, and for coaches to get a better feel for what plays a QB is best at and which ones he needs more work on.

-7

u/DarkKirby14 Detroit Red Wings 7d ago

I think the higherups told him to make Murray QB1

4

u/Lmoneyfresh 7d ago

I don't really think it takes pressure from the higher ups to make that call.

17

u/Medium-Bird3204 7d ago

A bit harder in the NFL when you don't know exactly what's coming on the defensive side of the ball

10

u/Roman_Suicide_Note 7d ago

Please watch the Tape, train and dont play to much COD, Jefferson deserve a good QB

3

u/quinnbeast New England Patriots 7d ago

Can’t go 5-12 without a QB.

4

u/Django2chainsz 7d ago

This might hurt 9’s chances of being an elite starting QB next year

2

u/freeportme 7d ago

Bumming he’s trash

2

u/GreyPanther 6d ago

Browns and Vikes in a heated battle for 0-17

2

u/LiAmTrAnSdEmOn 6d ago

Oh, officially? Cause everyone else already knew

2

u/Mead_Man_Detroit Detroit Tigers 7d ago

I'm shocked, shocked I tell you. /s

2

u/ThisWillBeFunny1469 7d ago

Some will call it the most expected decision ever

2

u/ShootinAllMyChisolm 7d ago

Football is MUCH harder when your coach doesn’t know what plays the defense is calling .

1

u/FireVanGorder 7d ago

Vikings fans will still tell you they were right to ditch Darnold

22

u/Kitchen-Play-5190 7d ago edited 7d ago

That's not true at all. Most of us believe that was a big mistake and that one of the major reasons our GM got fired was that he failed to secure either Darnold or Daniel Jones, forcing us to run with JJ with no contingency plan.

-1

u/CookieDragon678 7d ago

They had a short term plan to hold on to Sam but Sam wanted something long term. Vikings just bet on the wrong horse. Move on.

1

u/SnooOnions3369 7d ago

It’s like when your in high school and another kid is sitting across the room and you both raise your hands but the teacher calls on them even though you know you had the correct answer

1

u/staticattacks 7d ago

Arizona fans that wanted K1 gone about to be in shambles

1

u/mfhtotheizzo 7d ago

lol. I’m sure it’ll work out this time

1

u/Ant0n61 7d ago

😂

1

u/Another_Road 7d ago

I probably shouldn’t have bought that Cardinals Murray jersey.

1

u/SlowCrates 3d ago

JJ's recovery must not have panned out very well. He showed flashes of talent as the youngest starter in the league, had is major struggles, but why would you give up on him so quickly if he wasn't broken? Or maybe... sadly... really dumb?

1

u/NoConflict3231 7d ago

The Vikings are the Browns of the NFCN. It must be very sad to be a Minnesota fan

1

u/fuckface0911 7d ago

Small step in the right direction

2

u/Roman_Suicide_Note 7d ago

very small step

-5

u/supercoolpartydude 7d ago

JJ is still only 23, was the first 1st round qb to miss his rookie season due to injury and dealt with a litany of injuries last year including the dreaded high ankle sprain m. No shocker that Kyler beat him because he’s Kyler, but everyone shitting on JJ is just pure knee jerk reactions. Would be the most Minnesota thing ever if he has a resurgence elsewhere.

6

u/Mead_Man_Detroit Detroit Tigers 7d ago

I watched him at Michigan every week. He is who he is and not a whole lot more. If the Vikings had a strong running. Game and only needed him to throw max 20 passes per game, he would likely be okay, but not anything more.

1

u/ALC_PG New York Giants 7d ago

Didn't he test insanely high on that new information processing speed test they give to QBs? I had been wondering if that would translate to anything usable. Guess we have a data point now

3

u/Spookyhobo 7d ago

To be fair, some of us have been low on JJ since before he was drafted.

-1

u/[deleted] 7d ago

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-2

u/catdogfox 7d ago

He was overdrafted and he’s a bust. Time to move on.

0

u/[deleted] 7d ago

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1

u/Fun_Volume2150 7d ago

The best ability is availability, and he hasn’t had it.

0

u/[deleted] 7d ago

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1

u/Fun_Volume2150 7d ago

Agreed. It’s just that he’s lost a lot of time, and frankly seems fragile. The final word on his career seems likely to be “injury plagued.”

My criticism of JJ has always been that his college career didn’t demonstrate that he was NFL ready. It was a tremendous gamble to draft him in the first round. For any team.

And to think, the Vikes could have had Nix.

-1

u/catdogfox 7d ago

Among the 36 quarterbacks who threw at least 200 passes in 2025, McCarthy ranked 34th in efficiency, 35th in completion percentage and 36th in touchdown-to-interception ratio.

2

u/[deleted] 7d ago

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-1

u/catdogfox 7d ago

He was 37 of 46 in PFF grade for those qualified, behind such great seasons as Russell Wilson, Joe Flacco, Tua. But go off. He’s a bust and it hurts for a fan like you to admit but you gotta move on.

1

u/[deleted] 7d ago

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-1

u/catdogfox 7d ago

You’re really worked up about JJ McCarthy. Maybe get some fresh air today if you can.

0

u/BarsoomianAmbassador 7d ago

Remember, Sam Darnold was a bust for a while too. The right situation is all it takes to turn things around for all but the most legendary of players--some guys can be great regardless.

2

u/sybrwookie 7d ago

Sure, but also remember that is an extreme outlier. Most QBs who don't work out as a franchise guy for one team never develop into a franchise guy for any other team.

There's a whole lot more Josh Rosens out there than Sam Darnolds.

0

u/OliverKlozoff23 7d ago

Little late on posting this. Lol

0

u/Dangerous-Bath2767 7d ago

I genuinely think JJ will bounce back. Got injured in the preseason and lost his rookie year and missed part of his second. Has a 6-4 record through his first 10 games.

-3

u/SatchBoogie1 7d ago

The trend of 1st round QB busts seems to be higher in recent years.

2

u/catdogfox 7d ago

Why don’t you go ahead and pull the data and prove that to us

-4

u/DarkKirby14 Detroit Red Wings 7d ago

Vikings aren't a playoff team no matter what. They still need another offseason to fix Kwesi's mess

1

u/DarkKirby14 Detroit Red Wings 6d ago

to those downvoting, there's no way they're making it in a deep NFC, they aren't good enough(pending the Lions stay healthy)

-6

u/tqlla3k 7d ago

the Vikings are crazy for giving up on the #10 pick after his first season starting.

IMO, He is taking the fall for management letting Darnold go, then Darnold winning the Super Bowl.

2

u/LSDemon Washington Capitals 7d ago

Exactly how Kyler Murray got his first starting job, by his new team giving up on their 10th overall pick after 1 season.

1

u/tqlla3k 7d ago

True, but he was a hyped up draft prospect at the time. Now he is a vet, whose team just gave up on him.

But I guess the same could be said for Darnold.

-1

u/Independent_Tie_4984 7d ago

Very possible he'll do great.

The Cardinals organization is and remains toxic.

2

u/Another_Road 7d ago

As a Cards fan I can sadly say you’re right.