As Minnesota navigates a brutal opening stretch, Tampa Bay prepares for a dual threat: veteran Kyler Murray’s resurgence or the raw potential of former first-rounder J.J. McCarthy.
There's no reason to think that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can't be 2-0 by the time the Minnesota Vikings come into town.
Tampa will open the season on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals, who have missed the playoffs three years in a row, then will face the usually pathetic Cleveland Browns for its home opener.
The Vikings, on the other hand, have, in theory, a much tougher first two games.
Minnesota opens the season at home against the Green Bay Packers, who made it to the playoffs in 2025. In Week 2, the Vikings will go on the road to face Madden cover boy Caleb Williams and the defending NFC North champion Chicago Bears.
So, although it's far from a guarantee that the Vikings start 0-2 and the Bucs start 2-0 and, in fact, quite possible that the opposite happens, there's no denying that Minnesota has a pair of tall tasks to begin the year.
How tall those tasks and the 15 that follow will be for the Vikings depends on the quarterback.
Right now, it looks like the Vikings will start Kyler Murray, a seven-year veteran who signed a modest one-year, $1.3 million deal with the team after spending seven up and down seasons with the Arizona Cardinals.
But there's also J.J. McCarthy, a 23-year-old who the Vikings liked enough to draft 10th overall in 2024.
McCarthy didn't play during his rookie season due to injury, then started 10 of Minnesota's 17 games last year. During those games, he threw more interceptions (12) than touchdowns (11), and a variety of injuries caused him to miss the other seven. The biggest question McCarthy must answer on the field is if he can play, and the second biggest question is, well, can he stay healthy long enough to reach his full potential?
Murrary is the more polished product of the two. Once upon a time, the 2019 No. 1 overall draft choice, who won the Heisman Trophy at Oklahoma the previous season, looked to be one of the league's rising stars. In 2019, he was the league's Offensive Rookie of the Year. Over the next two seasons, he made the Pro Bowl.
In the four seasons since, Murray has only started 41 of 68 possible games, missing some games due to injury, some others due to benching. In Murray's last full season (2024), he completed nearly 69 percent of his passes, throwing for 3,851 yards, 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Whoever will be throwing for the Vikings this year will have the luxury of Justin Jefferson, one of the greatest receivers of all time. So, regardless, the Bucs secondary could be in for a long day, which could lead to the team itself having a long day.
Join our ROUNDTABLE community! It's free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members. Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!
