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The Minnesota Vikings got their mandatory minicamp underway on Tuesday, with all eyes on the quarterbacks. Kyler Murray and JJ McCarthy are just getting their quarterback competition started as they duke it out for who will be the Week 1 starter.
Murray got the first reps of 7-on-7 during day one on Tuesday, but things didn’t go as he would have hoped. He threw interceptions on each of his first two passes. That isn’t exactly the start that you want with your new team, especially when you’re vying for the starting job.
After the rough day one at practice, Murray talked about what has made adjusting to Minnesota so difficult.
Kyler Murray discusses the difficulty of learning a new offensive system while also splitting reps with JJ McCarthy. Kyler also says he plans to work with his receivers before camp. pic.twitter.com/195Vp694RR
— Jason Harmon (@JasonHarmonNFL) June 9, 2026
“The toughest part, I was (in Arizona) for seven years. I know I had two different offensive systems, but at the same time, you’re getting all of those reps,” Murray said. “Now, 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 hasn’t played his best football in a couple of years now, going all the way back to his stellar 2021 season. Murray looked like one of the young star quarterbacks in the league over his first three seasons, and he is trying to regain that form in 2026 with the Vikings.
Last season, the former No. 1 overall pick struggled with a foot injury that caused him to miss the end of the season. In just five games in 2025, he threw for 962 yards and six touchdowns to just three interceptions.
The initial feeling between Murray and McCarthy is a bit odd, with the Michigan product comparing it to a high school competition. While the two of them clearly aren’t best friends yet, they both are aiming to lead the Vikings back to playoff contention this season.
While Murray’s quest to do that isn’t off to the hottest start, there is still plenty of time for him to get his feet underneath him and take command of this competition.
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