The Vikings have added quarterback Kyler Murray to a depth chart that includes 2024 first-rounder J.J. McCarthy. So who will win the starting job?
It’s all TBD.
“They envision it being a true competition: Kyler Murray versus J.J. McCarthy,” Tom Pelissero of NFL Network recently said on The Rich Eisen Show, via NFL.com. “And both these guys are going to go into this believing they’re gonna win this job. I don’t know frankly how friendly that quarterback room is going to be. It’s going to be a very competitive quarterback room.
“From everything that I’ve understood, it is truly wide open. They’re keeping an open mind as a coaching staff.”
A “true competition” favors Murray, in our view. He’s more accomplished. More proven. All things equal, he should be able to win the job.
For McCarthy to win it, he’ll need to step up. Ball out. Outplay the first overall pick in the 2019 draft. The player who was named offensive rookie of the year before making it to the Pro Bowl in 2020 and 2021.
Even if McCarthy wins the job, he’ll need to hold it. That means staying healthy. He has missed all of his rookie year due to a preseason knee injury. In 2025, he missed seven games.
A “true competition” will help both get ready to play. Chances are they both will.
The question becomes when the competition will end. At some point, the Vikings need to get their starter ready for the regular season. Which means getting him all of the first-team practice reps, sooner than later.
And one key factor in the competition is the opinion of the locker room. If one player stands out over the other, the rest of the players will know. And they’ll expect that guy to be the guy.
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