Who Should I Start? Kyler Murray or J.J. McCarthy

Monday, January 26, 2:44 PM

ESPN's Josh Weinfuss writes that Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray's trade value has increased after Oregon QB Dante Moore announced on Jan. 14 that he would return to school for his junior season in 2026. Moore was projected to go second overall, behind Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza. "One less quarterback on the market makes desperation increase," a source said. There isn't another clear-cut first-round signal-caller in this year's draft behind Mendoza, now that Moore is going back to school. An NFC source said they think the starting price for Murray, if Arizona is interested in moving him, could begin with a second-round pick. A league source believes Murray's market starts with a third-rounder. Murray is still a talented player, but he never played in 2025 after a foot injury in Week 5, putting his future in Arizona in question after another frustrating campaign. A final decision on whether the Cardinals decide to trade Murray this offseason might not be reached until the team hires a new head coach.

Tuesday, January 13, 2:54 PM

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said he wants a competitive situation at quarterback going into next season, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic. O'Connell said McCarthy "is going to be a major emphasis," but "the competition in that room will only enhance the entire team." The Vikings want McCarthy to seize the starting job, but he's going to have to earn it and play better than he did in 2026, and the Vikings are fully expected to add to their QB room to push McCarthy this offseason. The 22-year-old former first-round signal-caller missed his entire rookie season in 2024 due to a knee injury that required surgery. McCarthy missed time with multiple injuries in 2025 and struggled with turnovers and efficiency when he was on the field, completing 57.6% of his pass attempts for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in 10 starts. Fantasy managers will want to see improvement from the Michigan product before considering him as anything more than a low-end QB2 option with upside.