{"id":942430,"date":"2026-07-11T06:24:17","date_gmt":"2026-07-11T06:24:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/942430\/"},"modified":"2026-07-11T06:24:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-11T06:24:17","slug":"vikings-rumor-watch-the-broncos-for-j-j-mccarthy-a-new-dt-kyler-murray","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/942430\/","title":{"rendered":"Vikings Rumor Watch: The Broncos for J.J. McCarthy, a New DT, Kyler Murray"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"DenverDenver Broncos helmet rests near the field at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium before an AFC West matchup with Kansas City, with the team\u2019s orange-and-navy logo standing out under the stadium lights. On Oct. 12, 2023, the equipment sat ready as Denver prepared to face the Chiefs in a primetime divisional game. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

The first couple of weeks in July are typically the slow section on the Minnesota Vikings\u2019 calendar, and for the most part, that\u2019s true, aside from a few rumors. <\/p>\n

Rookies report to training camp on July 26th \u2014 so about two weeks away \u2014 but in the meantime, let\u2019s glance at the first batch of rumors for the week.<\/p>\n

Denver Theory Headlines Vikings\u2019 Latest July Chatter<\/p>\n

\"J.J.Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy scans the field from the pocket during first-quarter action against Chicago at U.S. Bank Stadium. On Nov. 16, 2025, McCarthy prepares to deliver a pass as Minnesota opens its divisional matchup with the Bears and begins working through the early portion of its offensive game plan. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.<\/p>\n

Rumor: The Broncos would be a good fit for J.J. McCarthy as a QB2.<\/p>\n

Podcaster David Marshall advanced the idea<\/a> on the David Talks Broncos show last week: \u201cMcCarthy was kind of a disaster last year after his time at Michigan. You could see here at Michigan, National Champion, he\u2019s got all the traits and tools you\u2019re looking for, and you saw here during his time in the NFL.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe tore his ACL in 2024, so he didn\u2019t get a lot of time to actually improve his game. He played in a pro-style offense under Jim Harbaugh at Michigan, and I think he\u2019s got the brains to operate this offense with Sean Payton and Davis Webb.\u201d<\/p>\n

Denver\u2019s backup right now is Jarrett Stidham<\/a>, who filled in for Bo Nix during the AFC Title game in January. <\/p>\n

Marshall added, \u201cHe needs to fine-tune his mechanics, his footwork, and that\u2019s where the Broncos do some of their best work. I think J.J. McCarthy<\/a> in terms of not looking at him as a franchise quarterback because we\u2019ve got that in Bo Nix, but as that franchise backup. That next guy that can be here for a few years.\u201d<\/p>\n

It makes exactly no sense for McCarthy to request a ticket out of Minnesota so that he can be the backup quarterback in Denver. Zilch.<\/p>\n

Rumor: Minnesota should explore free-agent DaQuan Jones and sign him.<\/p>\n

Bleacher Report\u2018s Kristopher Knox identified seven defensive free agents with new possible destinations, and Jones was picked for the Vikings<\/a>: \u201cDefensive tackle DaQuan Jones will turn 35 in December and missed multiple games with a calf injury this past season. However, he remains a starting-caliber interior defender who has started every game in which he has appeared since his sophomore season in 2015.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJones started 12 games for the Buffalo Bills last season, finishing with 22 tackles, three sacks, and three tackles for loss. He still possesses a strong anchor in run defense with penetration ability to boost an interior pass rush.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"DaQuanBuffalo Bills defensive tackle DaQuan Jones stretches on the turf during a training camp practice in Pittsford, New York, preparing his body for another demanding session. On Jul. 25, 2022, Jones worked through warm-ups with teammates as Buffalo continued its summer preparations and evaluated the defensive front before the preseason schedule began. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports.<\/p>\n

Adding Jones would be a fantastic idea for most Vikings offseasons, but Minnesota has plenty of DTs in 2026.<\/p>\n

Knox added, \u201cJones would make a lot of sense for the Minnesota Vikings, who are hoping to leap back into NFC North contention this season. While much of the offseason focus has been on the looming QB battle between J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray<\/a>, Minnesota faces the challenge of reloading its defensive front.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Vikings parted with both Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen early this offseason. While they did sign Isaiahh Loudermilk while drafting Caleb Banks<\/a> and Domonique Orange, adding DaQuan Jones would round out the defensive rotation while adding veteran leadership to the group.\u201d<\/p>\n

Minnesota doesn\u2019t need any more interior defensive linemen<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Jalen Redmond<\/p>\n

Caleb Banks<\/p>\n

Domonique Orange<\/p>\n

Levi Drake Rodriguez<\/p>\n

Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins<\/p>\n

Isaiahh Loudermilk<\/p>\n

Eric Johnson<\/p>\n

Smith Vilbert<\/p>\n

Taki Taimani<\/p>\n

Elijah Williams<\/p>\n

Jahvaree Ritzie<\/p>\n

All stocked. <\/p>\n

Rumor: Kyler Murray is the favorite to win the Vikings\u2019 QB job because Kevin O\u2019Connell has cooked with veteran quarterbacks. <\/p>\n

The quarterback competition is the top storyline for most Vikings fans, and O\u2019Connell addressed it directly. He said to D.J. Siddiqi<\/a> this week, \u201cWe\u2019ve had a lot of success with different veteran quarterbacks at different stages of their career, whether it was Sam Darnold or Kirk Cousins<\/a>, and now we want to do everything we can to provide Kyler Murray with a great opportunity and see what he can do with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cKyler has always been a player. I\u2019ve known him for a long time, and obviously having coached against him at multiple spots, and the talent you talked about bringing that different dimension. I think what he\u2019s really done over seven years in the NFL is really maintain that dimension.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"KylerArizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray warms up near midfield after the national anthem before a road game against Seattle at CenturyLink Field. On Dec. 22, 2019, Murray prepares for the NFC West matchup during his rookie season as Arizona closes the regular year against a familiar division opponent under the stadium lights. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports.<\/p>\n

O\u2019Connell\u2019s right: when he has a veteran quarterback, his team usually wins. When O\u2019Connell has a rookie passer<\/a>, his team mostly loses.<\/p>\n

O\u2019Connell added, \u201cBut also the growth, the way he sees the field, the way he can throw with anticipation, and ultimately where he\u2019s at in his career is a unique time. Having had the success that he had at his previous stop and ultimately wanting to build upon that and us having the opportunity to bring him to Minnesota, it felt like a great fit.\u201d<\/p>\n

A battle will still occur in Eagan, but O\u2019Connell seems to hint that Murray is the frontrunner, which corresponds with oddsmakers\u2019 opinion. <\/p>\n

\t\t\"avatar\"<\/p>\n

\t\tDustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders <\/a>, is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Denver Broncos helmet rests near the field at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium before an AFC West matchup…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":942431,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2062],"tags":[232,231,258,2426,7,6],"class_list":["post-942430","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-denver-broncos","tag-broncos","tag-denver","tag-denver-broncos","tag-denverbroncos","tag-football","tag-nfl"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116899916690032180","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/942430","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=942430"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/942430\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/942431"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=942430"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=942430"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=942430"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}