The Backlash to J.J. McCarthy’s Kyler Murray Comments Keeps Growing

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J.J. McCarthy’s first public comments about his relationship with Kyler Murray, which came in a media session after the Vikings’ OTA practice on Wednesday, have made national headlines and sparked a good bit of discourse. McCarthy’s blunt reaction was quite notable, especially when juxtaposed with the tone of Murray’s response.

“It’s just like two guys in a classroom,” McCarthy said. “He sits on one side. I sit on the other side. And it’s the coaches’ responsibility to teach us and coach us. … Awkwardness? It’s just like the same feeling when you’re in high school and there’s another person on the other side of the room. That’s just kind of how it is. I wouldn’t say there’s any awkwardness.”

Meanwhile, here was Murray’s response about the relationship between the two.

“It’s been great. Obviously, I know he’s a younger guy, so any way I can help him, obviously I’ve played seven years now going on eight, so I’m considered a veteran even though I don’t see myself as that. Give him any knowledge that he needs. We’re both competitors. I know we both want what’s best for the team.”

The reaction to McCarthy’s comments has been mostly negative. He’s been called immature and pouty and criticized for his attitude. Former NFL quarterback Ben DiNucci, for one, said “this type of attitude doesn’t fly at the QB position.”

Another former NFL QB, ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky — who has been a proponent of McCarthy’s — didn’t like his answer, either.

“It was a uphill battle for J.J. McCarthy on the field in this competition,” Orlovsky said on The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday. “Hearing the answers, it sounds like there’s an uphill battle off the field as well. If you haven’t divided the locker room or lost the locker room, I don’t think that answer is helping you.”

“One, I want to give kudos to Kyler, he comes across mature, it sounds like good leadership,” Orlovsky continued. “It might be coachspeak and ‘right thing to say,’ but there’s a reality to that. With J.J.’s answer — and I like J.J., I’m rooting for J.J. — at times it just feels like, at least publicly, it’s an act. Like I have to have this bravado type of response or something like that. And you’re on the same team, at the end of the day. … It feels like you’re trying to divide the locker room, like ‘Are you team J.J. or are you team Kyler?'”

Not everyone feels that way about McCarthy’s comments. Ben Leber, a former Vikings linebacker who now works with KFAN Radio, doesn’t understand why everyone is so upset.

“I don’t truly understand what the issue is here, because I’ve seen all the fodder on social media,” Leber said on The Power Trip Morning Show. “I think one gave a political answer and one gave an honest answer. And so everybody’s like ‘One’s way more mature than the other,’ I’m like ‘What do you mean?’ What do you want out of athletes? Do you want honesty or do you want the political answer?

“I feel like if he gave an answer that was similar to Kyler Murray, if he was going to take the high road and give the political answer, he would’ve gotten destroyed. I think there is a big part of this fan base that really just wants to nitpick at everything McCarthy says and does, to the negative. He can’t do anything right. And of course he’s gotta be pissed. I hope he’s pissed and disappointed. I think he’s in a lose-lose situation sometimes.

“I don’t know why everybody’s so shocked,” Leber added. “What do you want from him? It’s probably a really tense situation. It is uncomfortable? Hell yeah it’s uncomfortable. Does it piss you off, are you disappointed? Hell yeah. Do you feel like the organization is giving you a giant side eye right now? Yeah, because they are.”

I can see both sides of the argument. McCarthy could’ve probably avoided sparking a news cycle if he had given a basic PR answer about being excited to compete with Murray and wanting what’s best for the team. But Leber’s right that no one should be surprised McCarthy is pissed off about this. He was drafted 10th overall two years ago, has made 10 NFL starts, and is now staring down the likelihood of no longer being the Vikings’ starter.

McCarthy could’ve probably worded his response better. But he didn’t bash Murray or the Vikings. He was honest about the situation and how he feels, and we often criticize athletes for not being honest to the media. To now rip him for this seems a little bit unfair, even if I completely understand where the criticism is coming from.

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