Vikings' J.J. McCarthy makes feelings on future clear after losing starting job to Kyler Murray

As had been expected for some time, Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell confirmed that Kyler Murray will be the team's Week 1 starting quarterback over J.J. McCarthy. 

While O'Connell later insisted that McCarthy is still an "incredibly important member of our quarterback room and our team," multiple NFL insiders believe that the 23-year-old may have taken his final regular-season snap as a member of the Vikings. 

On Wednesday, McCarthy seemed to send a strong message about his future. 

J.J. McCarthy: Minnesota is "the place I want to be"

"This is the place I want to be," McCarthy said, per Kevin Seifert of ESPN. "And I love every single person in this building. I love the state. I love the fanbase. And I'm going to continue to just do whatever I can for this team and this organization."

McCarthy may get his wish, for now, if only because he likely doesn't have much value as a tradeable asset. The 2024 first-round draft pick spent his entire rookie campaign recovering from a full meniscus repair. He was then limited to just 10 starts last season, and he wasn't good enough over those performances to keep the Vikings from acquiring Murray in March. 

"I couldn't control anything during," McCarthy said about the competition versus Murray for the QB1 job. "I couldn't control anything after. The only thing I could do is focus on that next rep and keep at it."

Does J.J. McCarthy still think he can be a full-time starting quarterback in the NFL? 

As shared by Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, McCarthy was asked whether he still thinks he's capable of being a full-time starter at the highest level.

"Yes, I believe so," McCarthy responded. "And I’m always gonna have that confidence in myself, no matter what. But at this time it’s doing whatever I can for the team, and, you know, being ready when my number’s called. And that’s all that matters. That’s all I can control." 

McCarthy can't spend too much time feeling sorry for himself, as he is expected to play in Minnesota's preseason opener at the New York Giants Aug. 15. While he admitted he is "obviously disappointed" about losing the starting job to Murray, McCarthy added that he is "focusing on the Giants this week." 

"Extremely excited," McCarthy said about playing at MetLife Stadium on Saturday. "It’s always a blessing to be able to go out and go to battle with your teammates, with your brothers, against somebody else. And I’m really excited to see what this group looks like. All ninety guys were really happy and proud of the work we put in, so we’re ready to put it on display." 

McCarthy also said that "every competitor wants to play." The Vikings' three August preseason games could allow McCarthy to showcase his overall development and growth to teams that could become buyers regarding his services at some point.