The less evidence or data there is on something, the easier it is to overreact to or over-analyze what’s available. That’s already been the case coming out of the Vikings’ first OTA session on Tuesday, specifically pertaining to quarterbacks Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy.
Tuesday’s practice was not open to the media, which means the only thing fans had to latch onto came in the form of video clips posted by the team’s official accounts. Simple, innocent-looking clips of both Murray and McCarthy making very basic throws have become fodder for discussion over quarterback mechanics, which was a big talking point during McCarthy’s struggles in 2025.
One of the many things that came up during the endless talk about McCarthy’s mechanics last year was the violent swing of his right leg that occurred on many of his throws, particularly those where he needed to put pace on the ball. Because it looked somewhat unnatural or unusual and may have been connected to other irregularities with his mechanics, it turned into a major point of conversation.
That brings us to Tuesday’s clips. Perhaps somewhat ironically, Murray’s throwing motion includes a bit of a swing of his back right leg. Meanwhile, McCarthy’s mechanics — at least in this setting — appear to have potentially been modified since the end of last season. There’s no leg swing on the clips of his throwing motion, as his back leg comes up level with his plant leg but does not whip up off of the ground.
Kyler Murray and JJ McCarthy throwing via the Vikings Instagram account. Here’s your QB battle content for the day. pic.twitter.com/T9hnHxIPUp
— Jason Harmon (@JasonHarmonNFL) May 27, 2026
Side by side comparison between JJ McCarthy and Kyler Murray slinging the rock.
🎥: @Vikings Instagram pic.twitter.com/quDt23eCIi
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) May 27, 2026
If it seems a little bit silly to be analyzing this, that’s because it is. But that’s how it goes when OTAs roll around for a team with one of the more intriguing quarterback situations in the NFL.
Last November, amid talk about McCarthy “rewiring neurological pathways” by learning new mechanics and the Vikings hoping to see “the cement dry” on some things with his feet and eyes and posture, I asked Kevin O’Connell about the leg swing and whether or not he viewed it as a problem.
“I think to a certain extent, the violent leg whip can sometimes be — depending on where guys generate their natural power from — you can see some of that, just as the ultimate disassociation between the lower and upper half that creates the torque that some guys put a lot of revolutions on the ball,” he said. “That would definitely be the category I would put J.J. in.”
“I think it’s something that some throwers, historically, you’ve seen it,” O’Connell added. “But to me, it’s the times where it can be due to a lack of foundation and balance more so than the torque that he’s generating. I think there’s a middle ground there that we’re working towards and we’ve seen, from kind of a smooth rhythm standpoint, that I think is what we’re hunting a little bit more on a snap-to-snap basis.”
J.J. McCarthy | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
A big thing we should be clear about is that a leg swing is not inherently bad. Murray has always had a bit of a leg kick on throws where he plants and drives the football, which makes some sense given his small stature. But he’s proven over a seven-year NFL career that he can throw with accuracy and touch and get the ball where it needs to go.
McCarthy has not proven that. The only reason the leg swing became a big talking point last year is because of how immensely the Vikings’ young quarterback was struggling with accuracy and consistency and production. It seemed to be a symptom of other mechanical issues with his base and hips and shoulders and the overall connectivity between his upper and lower half.
If McCarthy has truly improved his mechanics, he may have more of a shot to beat out Murray than most people, myself included, anticipate. But it’s way too early to say that for sure. We’ve still got a full three months of offseason ahead of us, so there’s a long way to go in this competition and discussion.
Wednesday should provide more information. OTA No. 2 will be open to the media at TCO Performance Center, and both quarterbacks are expected to speak afterwards.
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