Kyler Murray Building Edge Over J.J. McCarthy Early in Vikings Training Camp
Through the first week of Minnesota Vikings training camp, the answer to the team’s biggest offseason question is starting to take shape — and it isn’t the one J.J. McCarthy was hoping for. Kyler Murray, who signed with Minnesota after his release by the Arizona Cardinals in March, has taken the bulk of first-team reps and shown sharper decision-making than McCarthy through the opening practices in Eagan, according to multiple outlets tracking camp.
The Vikings quarterback competition was never framed as a formality. Head coach Kevin O’Connell said both quarterbacks would rotate through first- and second-team reps as the staff worked toward naming a starter, and McCarthy and Murray split first-team snaps evenly through the first two practices, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune.
That balance shifted once the pads came on.
Murray Pulling Ahead as Pads Go On
McCarthy struggled during Minnesota’s fourth practice, throwing an interception on the final play of a first-team period after trying to force a ball into a tight window, and following it with a miscommunication on a fade route, according to a recap from AtoZ Sports. Murray took the bulk of the first-team reps that day.
The gap showed up again once Minnesota strapped on pads for the first time. In the team’s fifth practice, Murray flashed his mobility and ball placement, hitting Ben Yurosek on a naked bootleg and layering a corner route to Gavin Bartholomew for 20 yards, per AtoZ Sports. The site’s day-by-day breakdown credited Murray with processing the field “at a significantly higher level” than McCarthy that day.
ESPN’s coverage from the ground in Eagan paints a similar picture. During one recent red-zone period, ESPN reported McCarthy overthrew three straight passes with no defense on the field before rebounding with two accurate deep outs later in practice. In another session, McCarthy went 0-for-3 with two tipped passes and an interception, ESPN noted, though the two quarterbacks have continued to roughly split first-team snaps in 11-on-11 drills.
Even with the split reps, ESPN’s Adam Schefter said on The Pat McAfee Show this week that Bleacher Report quoted him saying Murray is “viewed by many as the favorite to win this job.”
Rapoport: Battle Could Run Into September
Not everyone is ready to call it. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has been consistent in saying Minnesota isn’t likely to rush a decision, regardless of how camp reps are trending.
“For the Minnesota Vikings, no doubt one of the biggest storylines of all training camp, they have their quarterback battle as well. 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,” Rapoport said, per Yardbarker.
Rapoport added that whichever quarterback wins the job will have “wide-ranging ramifications for the organization” this season, a point echoed across camp coverage given how much the Vikings’ 2026 outlook hinges on stability at the position.
That patience has drawn some pushback locally. Minnesota radio host Paul Allen argued on his KFAN show this week that Rapoport’s insistence on an open competition doesn’t match what beat reporters are seeing on the practice field, according to Yahoo Sports. Star Tribune Vikings writer Ben Goessling, appearing on the same show, said he expects the Vikings to want clarity at quarterback by the time joint practices begin in a few weeks.
The Numbers Behind the Battle
Both quarterbacks are working to put rocky 2025 seasons behind them. McCarthy missed his entire rookie year with a torn meniscus, then went 6-4 as a starter last season while dealing with more injury issues. Murray made just five starts for Arizona in 2025 because of a foot injury.
| Category | J.J. McCarthy (2025) | Kyler Murray (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Starts | 10 | 5 |
| Record | 6-4 | N/A |
| Passing Yards | 1,632 | 962 |
| Touchdowns | 11 | 6 |
| Interceptions | 12 | 3 |
| Completion % | 57.6% | 68.3% |
Those numbers, first compiled by Bleacher Report, help explain why the Vikings pursued Murray as a low-cost, one-year addition rather than fully committing to McCarthy after his rookie struggles.
What’s Next
Minnesota’s next real proving ground comes Aug. 15, when the Vikings open the preseason on the road against the New York Giants. If Rapoport’s timeline holds, both McCarthy and Murray are likely to see extended preseason action before O’Connell makes a final call. The Vikings open the regular season Sept. 13 at home against the Green Bay Packers — the point by which Rapoport says a decision will almost certainly be made, one way or another.
