It looks like Kyler Murray has already got the job as the Minnesota Vikings quarterback, per Hall of Famer Joe Thomas. But the fans are not ready to take it as the answer.

While interacting with Andrew Siciliano of The Rich Eisen Show, former Cleveland Browns’ offensive tackle Joe Thomas predicted that the Vikings have invested huge resources to bring in Kyler Murray, even when they drafted JJ McCarthy as the first-round pick.

“The Vikings spent a first-round draft choice on JJ McCarthy, the quarterback. They were going to give him every opportunity to win that starting job,” Thomas said on the podcast. “…And when you admit the mistake and go out and get somebody, and you spend the type of resources that they did to bring in Kyler Murray, he is your starter.”

Per Thomas, Murray was not just called in to increase the competition for the primary starter, he will likely become the QB1 for the Vikings, and McCarthy will be the QB2.

He highlighted the fact that the Vikings front office has invested $1.3M cap space for signing Murray from the Arizona Cardinals. Similarly, they drafted McCarthy for $21.8M for four years.

“And you're doing that because the guys around him, your important receivers, your players that you're counting on to make plays that are started and provided by the quarterback,” Thomas said. “Those are the guys that don't trust JJ, and that's why you make the switch.”

Reading between the lines, Thomas believes that the veterans and the key playmakers of the Vikings do not trust McCarthy as they trust Murray.

Even after many NFL pundits are talking in favor of Murray, the Vikings’ fans are still rooting for McCarthy as their primary starter.

Fans Turn on Kyler Murray Following JJ McCarthy Debate

Joe Thomas' prediction on The Rich Eisen Show has quickly sparked pushback from Vikings fans, many of whom rejected the idea that the franchise made a major investment in Kyler Murray or view him as the unquestioned starter.

Several fans focused on the financial side of the argument. One fan wrote, “Spend the type of resource that they did to bring in Kyler Murray. $1.3 million for a QB? By the NFL standards, that is pocket change.”

Another echoed the same sentiment, saying, “Spend the type of resource that they did to bring in Kyler Murray, why do all these media outlets keep acting like we gave up a future first-rounder for someone on a league minimum deal.”

Others questioned the entire premise of the discussion. “What resources are you talking about? Kyler Murray was d*** cheap. Arizona is literally paying him to not be on their team. What the h***?” one fan posted.

The criticism then shifted toward Murray's recent performances. “Acting like Kyler didn’t get benched last year, and JJ didn’t pick up steam and win 5 in a row at the end of the year. Scored 15 TDs on 10 games with the 31st-ranked O-line in the league,” another fan argued while defending McCarthy.

Some fans dismissed the prediction altogether. “All I heard here was speculative opinion,” one commenter wrote.

Many Vikings fans remain firmly behind McCarthy and are not ready to hand the starting job to Murray based on offseason projections alone.

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Written by

Kunwar Yashaswee Chhaunker