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As the Minnesota Vikings go through their offseason, their biggest question will be who is the starting quarterback. So far, head coach Kevin O’Connell is keeping all info close to the vest.
JJ McCarthy enters the race as the incumbent and a former first-round pick by the team. But the Vikings did go out and sign Kyler Murray in free agency. O’Connell has an idea of when he will make his starting decision, but he wants all of his ducks in a row first, via Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.
“I have an idea of the appropriate time to transition, prepare whoever that player is going to be to get ready to go,” O’Connell said. “You can have an idea all you want. But we’ve got a great plan in place. We want to make sure when we get to training camp we have a great plan. The ultimately decision is going to come down to what’s best for the Minnesota Vikings.:
"Kevin O'Connell is adamant this is a true quarterback competition."
—@LindseyThiry on the QB battle between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy in Minnesota pic.twitter.com/2wf9lp3ymu
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) June 9, 2026
McCarthy did go 6-4 over the 10 games he started in 2025. However, he threw for just 1,63 2 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The Vikings searched for quarterback help over the offseason due to those struggles.
They landed on Murray, who was admittedly benched by the Arizona Cardinals after going 2-3 in 2025. However, Murray is a former two-time Pro Bowler. He’s thrown for 20,460 yards, 121 touchdowns and 60 interceptions over his seven-year career.
O’Connell is entering the competition with a clean slate. He will be evaluating each quarterback equally and will make whichever decision moves the offseason forward best. When he’ll officially name his QB1 though is yet to be seen.
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