Vikings' QB competition was reportedly never about J.J. McCarthy

The Minnesota Vikings aimed for the big prize in the 2024 NFL Draft, but failed.

They hoped that J.J. McCarthy would be the new face of the franchise, and it only took one season as the starter to change their minds.

They brought in Kyler Murray and even conducted an apparent quarterback competition, though it was an open secret that the veteran was always miles ahead of the youngster.

In a recent report, ESPN insider Kevin Seifert all but confirmed that theory, revealing that the competition was about accountability and sending the right message. 

Kyler Murray was supposed to be the Vikings' QB1 all along

“Many around him believe his decision to stage a competition between Murray and McCarthy, rather than award the job outright to Murray, was intended in part to ensure buy-in from the locker room via a fair process for upending the most important position on the team,” Seifert revealed. 

That's the type of locker room management that can really take a team the long way.

While it's also a dangerous game in the sense that Murray would've benefitted from getting all the first-team reps right out of the gate, head coach Kevin O'Connell was thinking about the broader picture here.

Murray's tenure with his new team got off to a dreadful start, throwing a pick on his first pass before being ruled out with a concussion, but there's still plenty of football to be played.

The Vikings didn't waver in Week 1, not even without their starting quarterback, showing the mental fortitude and togetherness that define winning teams.

As for whether McCarthy will ever get another shot in the Twin Cities, that might be a different story.