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The Green Bay Packers open the regular season against the Minnesota Vikings, with most assuming Kyler Murray will start at quarterback for Minnesota.
Turns out we may need to pump the brakes on that. It sounds like the quarterback battle between Murray and J.J. McCarthy could be more serious than it initially seemed, and it should have the Packers' attention.
Speaking on The Insiders this week, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport shed light on the Vikings' quarterback situation ahead of training camp.
"Is it Kyler Murray? Is it J.J. McCarthy? That is gonna be going on throughout camp, through the preseason games, right up to the start of the season," said Rapoport.
That's surprising, to say the least. Nobody believed Murray would sign with the Vikings if there were any realistic chance of him losing the quarterback battle. Rapoport's comments have raised eyebrows among the Vikings' fan base, too.
Adam Patrick of The Viking Age called it a "terrible idea" to hold a quarterback competition and limit Murray's snaps this summer. He's absolutely right, but the Packers won't mind one bit.
Even if Kyler Murray wins the Vikings' QB battle, a competition suits the Packers
It's still overwhelmingly likely that Murray will start against the Packers in Week 1, but the longer the Vikings drag out the competition, the better.
Murray is learning Kevin O'Connell's offense. He needs as many reps with the starting offense as he can get. Splitting time with McCarthy "is just asking for trouble," as Patrick writes.
Time will tell whether the Vikings are truly committed to letting the two quarterbacks compete, or even just giving the illusion that it's a legitimate competition. But the Packers won't mind the uncertainty in the slightest.
Green Bay has plenty of its own questions to answer between now and Week 1, especially on defense, but the quarterback room is settled. Jordan Love will take the lion's share of the snaps and have all the time necessary to prepare for Week 1 in Minnesota.
That may not be the case for the Vikings, especially if they are seriously considering giving the job to McCarthy.
Packers should still expect to see Kyler Murray in Week 1
The Vikings might want to give McCarthy a chance to win the job, but there's no way that actually happens, right?
It would be a dream scenario for the Packers, but we shouldn't count on it. McCarthy looked out of his depth for much of last season, completing just 57.6 percent of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, with a 72.6 passer rating. And that's in a quarterback-friendly offense with a receiving corps featuring Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson.
In the game at Lambeau Field, he threw for just 87 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions, earning him a career-worst passer rating of 34.2. The Packers would have no problem facing him again in Week 1.
However, McCarthy winning the job ahead of Murray would go down as one of the biggest shocks in the NFL this summer. Even if there is a serious competition, there's surely only one winner.
But as Patrick points out, even if Murray wins the job, splitting snaps with McCarthy at camp would limit his ability to get comfortable in a new system. It would play right into the Packers' hands.
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This article was originally published on lombardiave.com as Latest J.J. McCarthy update should have the Packers' full attention.
