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By Matthew Davis
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Get ready for the Minnesota Vikings quarterback elevator, as it’s hard to say how many stories it will take.
That’s the reality of the quarterback competition between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said as much when he addressed the media at the outset of training camp at the TCO Performance Center in Eagan on Tuesday.
"We want an elevator at the quarterback position. In many ways, doing that in this system is kind of a do-your-job mentality, which is running the show, throwing completions and just showing the ability to execute our offense with comfort,” O’Connell told reporters.
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Murray signed with the Vikings this offseason on a one-year, $1.3 million deal after his time with the Arizona Cardinals. The former No. 1 pick had impressive seasons with the Cardinals, but he only played five games due to injury last year, and getting benched for Jacoby Brissett didn’t help matters either.
McCarthy, the 2024 No. 10 pick by the Vikings, didn’t live up to the hype in 2025, when he finally took the field after missing 2024 with a meniscus tear. His 11 touchdowns to 12 interceptions ratio is just among the concerns.
That said, the reality is both Murray and McCarthy are looking at rebuilding their football careers at significantly different junctures. The Vikings have already invested two seasons in McCarthy in addition to a high draft pick, and Minnesota is taking a chance on Murray. Neither quarterback is a shoo-in to become a franchise quarterback, and O’Connell’s crew is taking its time to evaluate because of it. Minnesota has a win-now roster with a strong defense and talented skill players on offense such as star wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
The Vikings can’t afford to get this wrong, and O’Connell and his staff are painfully aware of that. Minnesota had a 14-3 team less than two years ago when former quarterback Sam Darnold led the way before his free agency exit to the Seattle Seahawks.
Darnold hoisted a Lombardi Trophy on the West Coast while the Vikings sank to 9-8. O’Connell enters a pivotal fifth year in his Vikings tenure, and another 9-8 season without a playoff appearance or a Wild Card exit won’t cut it.
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