The Minnesota Vikings might be one of the more confounding teams to contemplate as we look ahead to the 2026 NFL season.
At the moment, we are skeptical, given how we ranked the Vikings in our most recent edition of NFL power rankings. But there is a case to be made that we are sleeping on Minnesota, and it starts with the quarterback position. As my dear friend James Dator argued recently, if the Vikings can get at least average play from the quarterback position, this team could exceed expectations.
Of course, quarterback is perhaps the biggest question this team faces during the summer.
Minnesota added veteran Kyler Murray during the offseason to compete with young J.J. McCarthy for the starting quarterback job, and there is every expectation this is a true quarterback battle. As longtime NFL scribe Hub Arkush told me on a recent podcast, in speaking with those on the ground there is a strong believe that Kevin O’Connell is going to let these quarterbacks battle it out for the starting job deep into the summer.
Murray is not getting the job simply because he is a veteran, and McCarthy is not keeping the job simply because he was a first-round pick by the team.
However, just because both quarterback are getting a chance to win the job, it does not mean they have to like the situation.
First it was McCarthy, whose description of the situation during Minnesota’s OTAs at the end of May was found by some to be rather … awkward.
“It’s just like two guys in a classroom,” McCarthy said at the end of May. “He sits on one side, I sit on the other side, and it’s the coach’s responsibility to teach us and coach us.”
McCarthy, however, denied any “awkwardness” in a response to a follow-up question.
“Awkwardness? It’s just like the same feeling when you’re in high school and there’s another person on the other side of the room. That’s just kind of how it is. I wouldn’t say there’s any awkwardness.”
This was in stark contrast to a description offered by Murray at the time, who outlined how he was willing to “help” McCarthy any way he could.
“Obviously I know he’s a younger guy, so any way I can help him, obviously I’ll … give him any knowledge that he needs,” said Murray at the end of May. “We’re both competitors, and I know we both want what’s best for the team.”
But on Tuesday, it was Murray’s turn for some awkwardness.
Speaking at Minnesota’s minicamp, Murray was asked about the toughest adjustment he has faced since joining the Vikings.
The veteran quarterback then talked about the lack of “reps” he was getting in practice:
It is worth noting that, despite this being practice, when Murray did get reps on Tuesday, they were not flawless:
