The Minnesota Vikings are now just one month away from the season opener and don’t seem any closer to naming a starting quarterback.
After Sunday’s night practice, neither Kyler Murray or J.J. McCarthy has grabbed the lead in this competition, and the Vikings are running out of time. ESPN Insider Adam Schefter appeared on The Pat McAfee Show and gave his latest update on where head coach Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings stand on the timeline for naming a starter.
“They have been determined to have this play out in the preseason,” said Schefter. “I don’t know that they’re prepared right now to say that one quarterback has distinguished themselves to win that job.”
“I think what you’d like to do is give each guy one start, and then make that decision by the third game and have that guy run the offense as a dress rehearsal for the regular season opener. But it doesn’t sound like they are ready to declare a winner now. I do think it’s going to play out into training camp and into the latter part of this month.”
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After signing Murray this offseason, most reports had said that he would be the heavy favorite heading into this summer. And while he may still have the edge, Murray hasn’t distanced himself from McCarthy the way most people had expected.
Even if Murray does win the job, Schefter added that it may only be a temporary declaration.
“If Kyler Murray wins it and he doesn’t play great out of the gate, would they then go on to J.J. McCarthy and vice-versa? I think we’ll get an answer for the short-term here, but there are some long-term questions and ramifications we should have on our radar as well,” said Schefter.
Both quarterbacks have had their moments during training camp, but so far there hasn’t been a clear winner. If no one stands out, the Vikings may flip to the other quarterback should the season start to turn sideways for the first choice.
Kevin O’Connell Dishes out Praise to Kyler Murray
While his play on the field hasn’t been up to par just yet, O’Connell did say that Murray is exceeding all expectations so far in the classroom.
“Mentally, he’s definitely ahead of where I thought,” O’Connell said. “I think there’s been some new layers to our offense, whether it’s Kyler or J.J in there, it’s new.”
Even though Murray is progressing well in terms of learning the system, that has yet to translate to the practice field. Murray has certainly had his fair share of nice moments, but he isn’t running away with competition either. Meanwhile, McCarthy has found himself in the same boat throughout the battle. Despite some obvious improvements from 2025, the young signal-caller hasn’t found the consistency that the team is hoping for in their search.
The Vikings have three preseason games and a joint practice with the Baltimore Ravens left to figure out their QB1.
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