Justin Jefferson Appears to Take Verbal Shot at Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy

The Minnesota Vikings are strangely extremely close to the Super Bowl while also being lightyears away.

In the NFL, a team can sometimes only go as far as its quarterback can take it. And while the Vikings had a winning record last season, they had a carousel at QB, with no one stepping up as a true starter.

To make matters worse, the Vikings fans, players, and brain trust had to watch their former starting QB, Sam Darnold, lead the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl win in his first year in the northwest after Minnesota passed on a long-term contract.

In Darnold’s place, the Vikings doubled down on their commitment to first-round 2024 NFL Draft pick J.J. McCarthy, after he missed what should have been his rookie season with an injury.

McCarthy’s actual rookie season was worse than if he had sat out the entire year, either out with a new ailment or struggling to find any consistency on the field.

The Vikings tried to rectify their QB room by signing former No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray, and by doing so, sent a message to the former Michigan Wolverine in McCarthy.

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And on Monday, the team’s best player, wide receiver Justin Jefferson, might have buried the sophomore signal-caller even more in a press conference talking about the addition of Murray.

“My first reaction was just, it’s really good to kinda get some good talent in the room,” Jefferson said. “To kinda give a little spark in the room.”

Jefferson has been public about his close relationship with Darnold and his disappointment that the team didn’t bring him back after the two connected on the field, en route to a 14-3 regular season record in 2024.

For McCarthy, it’s another sign that this season won’t be like the last, where the Vikings did all they could to protect him from criticism or the feeling he might lose the starting job.

Heading into training camp, the job is already leaning towards Murray. And after how he performed last season, along with his series of injuries, there isn’t much McCarthy can say to defend himself.

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This story was originally published April 20, 2026 at 5:14 PM.