Kyler Murray is a Vikings quarterback. JJ McCarthy is a Vikings quarterback. Kevin O’Connell is about to decide which of them starts, and he says it is going to take training camp to figure out.
Minnesota signed Murray to a veteran minimum deal earlier in the offseason. The move was smart on paper. It creates real competition for McCarthy, whose second year with the team was uneven in limited action last season. The Vikings needed a real backup plan. Murray provides one.
Now the actual competition begins.
Training camp opens August 1 at the Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center. That is Back Together Weekend, Saturday Edition. Practices are scheduled through mid August, and every session will be watched more carefully than any Vikings camp in years.
McCarthy has the inside track. He was the 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft. The team has invested two years in developing him. He has taken every important rep in the offseason program. He knows the system. He knows the receivers. His arm has always been the best in the room.
Murray has the experience. He is a two time Pro Bowler. He played eight years in Arizona. He knows how to run an NFL offense from under center or in the shotgun. His athletic tools remain elite. He is 28 years old, which is right in the prime for a quarterback.
The concern with Murray is what he brings to a Minnesota style offense. Bill Barnwell of ESPN raised the question in a recent piece: the Vikings run a lot of under center concepts. Kevin O’Connell built his system on rhythm passing and play action from under center. Murray has spent most of his career in shotgun, and there are legitimate reasons to wonder whether he fits.
The June minicamp offered a preview. Murray had rocky moments, including two interceptions at the start of the June 9 practice. McCarthy was cleaner. That is not the whole story, but it is the story that leaked out.
The training camp practices will be the first real chance for public evaluation. Fans will be there. Reporters will grade every throw. Both quarterbacks will feel the pressure.
What O’Connell has to decide is which quarterback gives Minnesota the best chance to win in September. That is a different question than which one has the higher ceiling. McCarthy might have the higher ceiling five years from now. Murray might be the better bet for this year. Both statements can be true at the same time.
Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison are the two best receivers a quarterback could ask for. TJ Hockenson is one of the best tight ends in the game when healthy. Aaron Jones is still a good running back. The Vikings have real talent on offense.
The defense is the question mark. Brian Flores runs an aggressive scheme, but the Vikings lost some pieces this offseason. The margin for error on offense is smaller than last year, which means the quarterback has to make plays.
Murray has more career playoff snaps. McCarthy has none. Murray has run a top 10 offense before. McCarthy has not. That is not a criticism of McCarthy, but it is a real consideration for a coach trying to win now.
The prediction here: Murray wins the job by the middle of August. McCarthy stays involved as the future starter and gets meaningful reps late in games. If Murray struggles or gets hurt, McCarthy takes over. If Murray plays well, Minnesota rides him for the season and lets McCarthy learn.
Either way, this is one of the best quarterback battles in the league. Watch it.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
