Murray and McCarthy are competing for the starting job, and we got an initial glimpse into how things could play out.
Murray and McCarthy are competing for the starting job, and we got an initial glimpse into how things could play out.
J.J. McCarthy reflects on Vikings QB battle with Kyler Murray (0:38)
Kevin SeifertMay 29, 2026, 06:00 AM ETCloseKevin Seifert is a staff writer who covers the Minnesota Vikings and the NFL at ESPN. Kevin has covered the NFL for over 20 years, joining ESPN in 2008. He was previously a beat reporter for the Minneapolis Star Tribune and Washington Times. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia.
Kevin SeifertMay 29, 2026, 06:00 AM ET
EAGAN, Minn. -- After months of (sometimes wild) speculation, the Minnesota Vikings finally provided a glimpse this week of what their ostensible quarterback competition will look like.
In the team's second OTA of the spring, and the first open to local media members, Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy both took snaps with projected starters and against the likely first-team defense. If you were drawing up a plan to give each player fair and equal time to prove they are the team's best option, this would be it.
But you can only have a genuine competition if there is actual uncertainty about who the best quarterback on the roster is. With the caveat that this was one day in May, with no pads and some drills performed at half speed, it is only fair to point out that the gap between the two quarterbacks was not close.
Murray made all of the best throws of the practice, demonstrating his downfield touch and accuracy. Nothing McCarthy did was objectionable, and one of his few incompletions -- a pass to the flat that cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. nearly intercepted -- occurred when two receivers drifted far too close to each other. And while McCarthy's post-practice comments about their relationship delivered headlines, it was Murray who might have said the most notable four words of the afternoon: "My confidence is unshakeable."
Overall, the afternoon was a reminder that McCarthy could continue along the upward trajectory he established at the end of last season -- and still fall well short of matching Murray's experience, arm talent and potential to make big plays in the passing game.
Consider, for example, the subtle but meaningful differences in two deep passes receiver Jordan Addison caught.
Averytin News NFL update.