KOC really has created something with this competition. I wonder if it is going to work out but I can already see the excuses from either side about the QB they want not getting all the reps. Kyler Murray alluded to not getting all the reps in his interview following the practice yesterday. Yes, KOC created something alright. I am not sure it is something he envisioned though.
I do not think it matters over the rest of this minicamp but heading into training camp he has to make a decision. That way,
whomever he declares the first string QB will be getting all the reps with the ones. I could be wrong but I think it is best for the team and offense if KOC does this which I believe he will.
After he does it though, will there be any requests for a trade? I doubt it but it will be something to watch. Heh, I could make a clickbait article about this very thing. I am certain there will be one up shortly from some other site.
I know you filthy animals don’t like clickbait articles but it is tough to entertain you.
Your Disclaimers.
A little note about links. I do not write these and they are what pops up when I google “Vikings news”. I usually post most of the links and unfortunately there are a lot of stories about the QB situation.
Also, I am not a writer. I am just a hipster doofus. I only do a cursory glance for typos or misspelled words. I hope that does not offend some of you to the point where you cannot even talk about football after pointing out the errors. That is rather sad IMO.
Minnesota Vikings News and Links
Quarterbacks Valuing Every Rep of Vikings Minicamp
https://www.vikings.com/news/jj-mccarthy-kyler-murray-quarterbacks-minicamp-2026
Each of the Vikings quarterbacks spoke with Twin Cities media members following Tuesday’s mandatory minicamp practice, during which snaps were shared between the pair (minus a few for Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer).
McCarthy and Murray continue to be in competition with one another for Minnesota’s starting QB spot — but neither is fixated on that aspect of the situation. As they’ve both said previously, controlling what they can is paramount.
“I’m only focused on that next rep and whatever’s in front of me to help improve that next rep,” McCarthy said. “I’ve been walking it and talking it, and I’m going to continue to do that.
“It feels the same every day,” he later added. “I mean, even last year — I’m just competing with myself to be the best kind of person I can for this team, the best kind of quarterback, and at the end of the day, the more we do that … rising tides lift all ships, and we’ll be in a good spot by that.”
Murray opened Tuesday’s session with the first team during 7-on-7 drills before McCarthy followed with four reps with the second group.
Later on, McCarthy worked with the first team in a 7-on-7 for a 2-minute drill before Murray’s turn in the same scenario occurred with the second team. Each QB drove his group from its 40 with 1:05 remaining to put the offense within Will Reichard’s range for a field goal (kicks were not attempted during the practice period).
McCarthy and Murray individually hold themselves to high standards, and the elder QB discussed how that perfectionist mentality can be challenging, especially while learning a new offense.
Finding a balance between steady progress and extending oneself grace is tricky, Murray acknowledged.
“This is a different territory, obviously, having to learn a new offense on the fly but, at the same time, trying to be efficient, trying to be accurate and find my way within the offense, and understanding what [Head Coach Kevin O’Connell] wants us to accomplish within each concept,” Murray said. “But at the same time, giving myself grace. You’re going to make mistakes; you’re going to turn the ball over. Obviously you don’t want to, but this is the time — this is the learning phase and the time to do those things.
“When you do have days where you feel like, ‘I wish I had that back, I wish I had that throw back,’ whatever it is, coaches [are] reminding you, staying on you about, ‘Hey, this is the learning phase; you’re new to this,’ ” he later added.
While Murray works to master Head Coach Kevin O’Connell’s system, McCarthy is concentrated on continued improvement entering his third season in Purple.
The 23-year-old told reporters he “feels so good” at this point in the summer, noting that every year of familiarity in the scheme is invaluable.
Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy says QB competition reps ‘out of my control’, wants to remain in Minnesota
https://www.nfl.com/news/vikings-j-j-mccarthy-qb-reps-out-of-my-control-wants-to-remain-in-minnesota
“I feel so good,” McCarthy said Tuesday from the Vikings’ mandatory minicamp. “Every single rep, every single year, more and more experience just helps build that confidence and that familiarity within the scheme. Right now, I feel the best I’ve ever felt playing the game of football, especially this team.”
Murray and McCarthy are splitting reps with the Vikings’ first-team offense so far, with head coach Kevin O’Connell calling the battle “very professional” last week. McCarthy said he’s doing whatever he can to prove himself, even if he’s not receiving the bulk of the reps this offseason.
“Those reps being distributed are something out of my control,” McCarthy said, “and the only thing I focus on is that next rep and keeping it as simple as that.”
McCarthy isn’t thinking about what might happen if he doesn’t win the job, and he doubled down on his desire to remain in Minnesota.
“I think I made it very clear I wanted to be here before I got here,” McCarthy said. “I love this organization. I love the coaching staff. I absolutely love these players to death. This is where I want to be. I feel like I can thrive in this system.
McCarthy struggled with injuries and inconsistency last season after the Vikings traded up to take him with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. In spite of missing his entire rookie season due to a torn right meniscus and struggling with accuracy and turnovers as the Week 1 starter a year ago, McCarthy said he wouldn’t want to go back and change his first two years in the league.
“Everything played out exactly how I wanted it,” he said. “I wouldn’t want anything else to change.”
Early reports suggest Murray might have a slight edge at this point, even if the competition remains very much in progress. For his part, Murray said he’s not concerned about battling with McCarthy and spoke like a man who expects to win the starting job.
“Me personally, I’m not too worried about the competition side of things, honestly,” Murray said. “To answer your question: Yes, the competitor I am, everybody out here holds themself to a high standard.”
Vikings QB Competition: J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray each reveal one key element that could decide the starter
https://atozsports.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings-news/vikings-qb-competition-j-j-mccarthy-kyler-murray-experience-kevin-oconnell/
No matter if you are pro J.J. McCarthy or Kyler Murray, there is something positive to praise your guy, and a way to disparage the other. It’s been a contentious competition thus far among the fanbase.
…
One of the interesting things about the competition is the biggest difference between the two: experience in the system. McCarthy has it and Murray doesn’t, with the former becoming more instinctual.
“[I] think things being instinctual when you hear it, you know, being able to pop into your mind very clear and very fast, and that helps a lot with just playing instinctual out there, and you know, making the right plays when the balls snap.”
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy
Having three years in a system is important. Historically speaking, year three is when the biggest jump is taken, especially in a West Coast-style system, which Kevin O’Connell’s offense is a variant of. Murray is at a disadvantage here, especially with him spending the majority of his career in the Air Raid.
“I think the toughest part is having to split reps. It’s me already being behind, not getting the amount of reps that you know you would typically want to, gotta get learning an offense. That’s probably the toughest part. Again, going back to the past, being in control of everything, understanding what we were already doing, because I was comfortable within the system. Now, [I] come to new system, learning on the fly, trying to play fast, efficient, and then let it loose while learning. That’s the toughest part.”
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray
O’Connell Makes Revealing Comments After Murray Struggles, McCarthy Excels at Minicamp
https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/minnesota-vikings/kevin-oconnell-jj-mccarthy-kyler-murray-minicamp-competition/
Kyler Murray technically started the afternoon as the Minnesota Vikings‘ QB1, getting the initial work with the first-team offense, but it was JJ McCarthy who came out on top after the first day of mandatory minicamp.
Murray struggled, tossing two interceptions on back-to-back plays during 7-on-7 drills, while McCarthy was far more accurate and connected on a deep ball during his time under center with the starters.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell is splitting first-team reps between Murray and McCarthy evenly, for now, but admitted on Tuesday, June 9 that he “has an idea” about when he will decide on a permanent starter.
“We’ve got a great plan in place, and we want to make sure when we get to training camp we’ve got a great plan, O’Connell said, per Lindsey Thiry of ESPN. “You don’t have a ton of time.”
Training camp will begin in late July, at which point Minnesota brass is all but certain to have cemented a hierarchy within the QB room. Along with McCarthy and Murray, the odds-on favorite to start heading into the summer, Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer are also both on the roster.
…
But Murray, the 29-year-old veteran and two-time Pro Bowler, sounded a little less the favorite to win the QB1 battle than a signal-caller in a new system looking for answers as to why he struggled so much running the offense absent any pass-rushers to disrupt his vision or timing.
“Having to split reps — me already being behind, not getting the amount of reps you would typically want a guy to get learning the offense — that’s probably the toughest part,” Murray said.
Justin Jefferson just told the Vikings why J.J. McCarthy is a lost cause thanks to Kyler Murray
https://fansided.com/nfl/justin-jefferson-just-told-the-vikings-why-j-j-mccarthy-is-a-lost-cause-thanks-to-kyler-murray
It’s getting harder for Justin Jefferson to mince his words when he talks about the upgrade Kyler Murray is from J.J. McCarthy. In the latest interview he did, Jefferson essentially described what an average NFL quarterback should look like. He shouldn’t be happy that Murray plays the way he does because it should be the expectation not an outlier.
Experience has very little to do with McCarthy’s struggles. He spent a season watching Sam Darnold work and Kevin O’Connell is a quarterback wizard. If O’Connell couldn’t figure out how to get McCarthy to even show potential, he was a lost cause from the jump. And the fact that Minnesota got impatient and signed his replacement (Murray) while also re-signing Carson Wentz, that should tell you everything you need to know about where McCarthy stands.
“He understands the game. He understands the defenses. He understands just how to put touch on the ball, just enough to where it gets to where it gotta go, without making it difficult for us,” Jefferson said.
During the same interview, Jefferson said he’s excited to see the competition between Murray and McCarthy and if we’re being honest, there’s no competition. Jefferson didn’t talk about McCarthy like this a season ago. He did try and give McCarthy confidence ahead of his first official NFL season, but he didn’t talk about him the way he just broke down Murray. And there’s one thing Jefferson said that sticks out in particular.
“He throws the ball before you even get out that break,” Jefferson said. That’s the problem McCarthy always had. He didn’t anticipate throws and that’s why Minnesota needed an upgrade.
…
McCarthy might not be around Minnesota too much longer. The Vikings have no reason to be patient with him and if Jefferson continues to throw subtle shots at McCarthy because of his shoddy play last year, it will be all Minnesota needs to realize drafting McCarthy was a mistake. The fact that Minnesota still had a winning record despite McCarthy looking inferior tells you everything you need to know about his struggles in 2025.
The Vikings are better off trying to trade him for an early Day 2 pick at this point. I don’t think they’ll get a first round pick or even a pick in the top 40 for him. But for a team like Minnesota, he’s intriguing, considering their quarterback luck. If Mac Jones ends up on another team either this year or next, he could be Kyle Shanahan’s next project too.
…
J.J. McCarthy’s early struggles is the gamble franchise’s make with first round quarterback picks
McCarthy’s struggles last year highlighted a real problem that gets kicked under the rug in the NFL and that’s the risk you’re truly taking with a first-round quarterback. Long gone are the days where teams take a young quarterback and actually give them a chance to grow. They’re just immediately thrown into the starting lineup and have to have immediate success or they’re considered a bust; Anthony Richardson is a classic example.
Unfortunately, elite talents like Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels have forced teams into expedited philosophies of what a franchise quarterback looks like. If Fernando Mendoza doesn’t start Week 1 in order to allow him time to get used to being a franchise quarterback in the NFL, it would be the Las Vegas Raiders realizing Mendoza’s future is too valuable to deplete in year one.
Confidence is the most important thing a young quarterback can have and expecting them to be great in year one isn’t fair. The Vikings turned away Sam Darnold and expected McCarthy to pick up where Darnold left off, which was never going to happen. That’s the problem with drafting quarterbacks high and the problem franchises face every year as the pressure to have a franchise quarterback continues to ramp up.
Vikings GM just fueled massive intrigue around Kyler Murray’s future
https://thevikingage.com/minnesota-vikings-gm-just-fueled-intrigue-kyler-murray-future
A longtime member of the Seattle Seahawks front office, Teasley saw Murray twice a year as he led their NFC West rival, the Arizona Cardinals, and it seemed like he was excited about the possibility of teaming up in Minnesota, according to comments made to KFXN’s Paul Allen on Monday.
“I mean, yeah, the physical talent is there. He can make all the throws. He can create off-schedule, and this is not a slight to anybody, but this offensive staff and coach O’Connell, that’s the untapped potential. He’s going to realize, I think, another level of development.”
Teasley also commended the level of competition in the quarterback room as Murray and McCarthy battle as former top 10 picks, and how both can thrive under O’Connell’s guidance.
“I think it’s deep. It’s competitive,” Teasley said. “There’s a lot of talent in there. There’s football experience. There’s upside. And that applies to everybody because of the developers we have at that position. So, iron sharpens iron. May the best man win.
Kyler Murray gets dismal projection amid J.J. McCarthy competition
https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/kyler_murray_gets_dismal_projection_amid_jj_mccarthy_competition/s1_13132_43926471
“It’s easy to think that Murray will be better under Kevin O’Connell and with weapons like Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison at his disposal,” Knox said. “If he isn’t, though, Minnesota may eventually give McCarthy another chance to redeem himself.”
Vikings DC Brian Flores Gets Blunt on Harrison Smith’s Absence
https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/minnesota-vikings/brian-flores-blunt-harrison-smith-absence/
The Minnesota Vikings aren’t pressuring Harrison Smith to decide whether he wants to play the 2026 NFL season or retire. Nonetheless, the Vikings need to proceed as if Smith won’t be part of the team.
Last season, Smith showed that he can still play at a high level, as he was out on the field for 793 total snaps. The 37-year-old earned a 68.9 overall PFF defensive grade for the 2025 season. He also recorded two interceptions on the season and broke up three passes in coverage.
Furthermore, the Vikings veteran allowed an 81.0 passer rating when targeted by opposing quarterbacks. Smith surrendered 21 receptions in coverage and also contributed 42 solo tackles in run support and open-field situations.
On June 9, Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores shared his thoughts on not having Smith as mandatory minicamp is underway for Minnesota.
“Harrison, he’s a great player,” Flores told reporters. “As we all know, and I think everyone knows, how special he’s always been to me. Our time here together has been fantastic. So to lose a guy like that, it’s not easy.
“You don’t replace it immediately, but I think the group led by Theo [Jackson], led by Jay Ward, even [TavierreThomas], guys who have been here and know how we want to operate, how we do things. And somebody’s got to step into those roles and into those shoes.”
“That’s the National Football League,” Flores added. “Whether it’s injuries, whether it’s guys moving on, every year is a little bit different, every team’s a little bit different.
“This 2026 group is going to be very different than 2025 and 2024 and 2023 and every other year before that. And so, that’s just our league. You always miss guys, and you always love to have them back.
“I’ve told him that many times already. But at the same time, we got a good group. They’re really working hard and doing a lot of really good things. Collectively filling those shoes, I would say, and so excited for that group, and they’re doing really well.”
Recently, former Vikings linebacker Ben Leber stated that the team needs to operate as though they won’t have the player this season. Furthermore, with how Flores responded, it appears Minnesota is doing just that.
“I mean, it’s nothing personal; I don’t think the team needs to be held hostage over [Smith’s] status,” Leber said during a May 4 appearance on KFAN. “They have to proceed as if he’s not going to be there, and then it’s just an extra bonus if he does show up, whenever that may be… Selfishly, he would want to come back right before the start of Week 1.
“If he’s thinking about his checkbook and his pocketbook, then he would say, ‘Yeah, I want to come back Week 1, be on the opening-day roster, veteran salary fully guaranteed.’ Now, the team might look at it and say, ‘We’ll bring you back Week 2. That way, we don’t have to guarantee your contract.’”
‘GMFB’ reacts to Kyler Murray’s comments on adjusting to Vikings offense
https://sports.yahoo.com/videos/gmfb-reacts-kyler-murrays-comments-132438107.html
Murray has opportunity to ‘press the reset button’
https://www.nbcsports.com/watch/nfl/profootballtalk/kyler-murray-has-opportunity-to-press-the-reset-button-with-vikings
The Vikings’ Full Depth Chart Heading into Minicamp
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/vikings-full-depth-chart-heading-113400510.html
Lunchbreak: ESPN’s Central Question for Vikings 2026 Minicamp
https://www.vikings.com/news/2026-nfl-minicamp-questions-quarterback-competition-super-bowl-odds
At Long Last, Brian Flores Landed the Corner He Had Been Chasing for a While
https://vikingsterritory.com/2026/news/top_news/brian-flores-landing-pierre
The 2 New Vikings Corners Offer Up Size and Snarl
https://purpleptsd.com/2026/vikings/top_news/2-new-vikings-corners-snarl/
Vikings Predicted for Losing Season
https://vikingsterritory.com/2026/news/analysis/vikings-losing-season-prediction-2026
What Might a Fair Contract Extension For Brian O’Neill Look Like?
https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/onsi/what-might-fair-contract-extension-for-brian-oneill-look-like
video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bb9BTowge0
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