J.J. McCarthy must fix two things to beat Kyler Murray for Vikings' QB1 job

The Minnesota Vikings aren't ready to give up on their former first-round pick just yet.

J.J. McCarthy continues to split first-team reps with Kyler Murray, and while the veteran might be the strongest candidate to win the QB job, McCarthy's familiarity with the offense gives him a bit of an edge.

That's why ESPN's Ben Solak believes this race is far from over, given McCarthy's fit with Kevin O'Connell's system, at least on paper. While he thinks Murray will gain more ground in this race with every practice and ultimately win the job, Solak believes McCarthy can still make it interesting. 

J.J. McCarthy can still win the Vikings' QB1 job

“McCarthy appears to be trying not to lose the job rather than win it,” Solak wrote. “That isn’t as bad of a plan as it sounds. Murray will always be the superior playmaker — his escapability and arm talent objectively clears McCarthy’s — but O’Connell’s offense has always preferred reliable pocket quarterbacks who execute the system.”

Per Solak, the third-year quarterback must clean his act after an erratic rookie season, and making a couple of adjustments could go a long way in this competition.

“If McCarthy can get the ball to his checkdown faster, he can reduce last season’s 4.2% interception rate (league worst) and 9.4% sack rate (fourth worst),” Solak continued. 

The Vikings had to give up a lot to get McCarthy. He was wildly erratic last season, and his injury concerns are also a major red flag. That said, he's young and talented, and he's been a proven winner at every level before turning pro. It makes sense they're not ready to give up on him yet.

Still, Murray might give them the best chance to win right now. With their Super Bowl-caliber roster, they might not be able to afford waiting for McCarthy to figure things out or let him grow through his mistakes.