The Minnesota Vikings are just a few short weeks away from the start of training camp, where fans will get their first real look at the highly publicized quarterback battle.
Both Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy will be engaged in a heated battle for the starting role, but the winner may not be crowned for quite some time. In a recent report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the insider suggested that head coach Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings may take this decision all the way down to the buzzer.
“For the Minnesota Vikings, no doubt one of the biggest storylines of all training camp, they have their quarterback battle as well,” said Rapoport. “Is it Kyler Murray? Is it J.J. McCarthy? That is going to be going on throughout camp, through the preseason games, right up to the start of the season. Obviously it has wide-ranging ramifications for the organization, but who ends up being their starter will go a long way in determining just how these Minnesota Vikings end up doing.”
The Vikings Aren’t in Any Rush to Name a Starting QB
It was initially a bit of a surprise that O’Connell didn’t name a starter after OTA’s and minicamp, but now Rapaport is suggesting that there might not be an answer until right before the regular season begins.
If that sentiment rings true, it certainly bodes well for McCarthy, who appeared to be trailing Murray in the competition before the summer break. Perhaps the duo are much closer than most thought, and that O’Connell needs to see a lot more. Either way, Minnesota needs to get this right, and they seem poised to take their time honing on a final call.
Still, every snap split is another one that could’ve gone to the starter with the season rapidly approaching.
The Vikings Will Give McCarthy Every Chance to Win the Job
Albert Breer seemed to echo Rapaport’s timeline in his writeup for SI, saying that Minnesota fully intends to give McCarthy every opportunity to go out and win this battle.
“If they can find a way to get McCarthy playing faster and with more confidence, the full intention is there to give him a chance to beat out the more accomplished Murray,” wrote Breer. “If that doesn’t happen, then we’ll get to see what Murray can do with a really strong supporting cast.”
“Either way, the result of this competition should impact the NFC race. Because as sideways as things got last year, and it was pretty messy at times, the Vikings still wound up going 9–8. Yet stability at quarterback could open the door for a lot more.”
After signing Murray to the veteran’s minimum this offseason, most everyone had all but declared him the starter. Even up to this week, most teams seem to be operating with the assumption that he’ll be the starter in Week One. But it appears that the Vikings won’t be handing out any jobs anytime soon, and if McCarthy has a good August, anything is possible.
The Kyler Murray-J.J. McCarthy Battle Now Has a New, Bizarre Timeline