McCarthy's development is O'Connell's priority amid QB competition with Murray.

Head coach Kevin O'Connell is managing McCarthy's development carefully during the QB competition with Kyler Murray. O'Connell is trying to toe a fine line: he wants to continue developing McCarthy and does not want to hurt his confidence, while also being tasked to win games. McCarthy has said he believes O'Connell's commitment to opening up the competition fairly. McCarthy has recovered from late-season injuries that limited him to 10 starts in two seasons since being drafted 10th overall in 2024, and he said he was hitting an upward trajectory before the injuries and is certain it's still been going up since then.