The Minnesota Vikings are heading into the offseason with a quarterback battle that pits J.J. McCarthy against Kyler Murray. Tom Pelissero said the team envisions “a true competition: Kyler Murray versus J.J. McCarthy,” with both quarterbacks believing they will win the job.
Pelissero said the Vikings are keeping an open mind as a coaching staff and expect the room to be highly competitive. He added that he does not know how friendly the quarterback room will be because both players are going in with the same goal.
That matters because Minnesota has spent the past year signaling that the position would not be handed to anyone. Head coach Kevin O'Connell called for more depth and competition in the quarterback room in January, and interim general manager Rob Brzezinski said in February the franchise would “explore every opportunity” at quarterback in the offseason.
The move also puts McCarthy under a brighter spotlight after a difficult start to his pro career. The Vikings took him 10th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, but he has struggled in his two years in the NFL, throwing 12 interceptions in 10 games. He missed his entire rookie season with a knee injury and dealt with multiple injuries in his sophomore season.
Murray arrives with a far more established résumé. The former No. 1 overall pick in 2019 was released by the Arizona Cardinals and signed a league minimum deal with Minnesota. He is a two-time Pro Bowler with seven seasons of NFL experience, and he played in five games for Arizona in 2025 because of a foot injury.
In those five starts, Murray went 2-3, completed 68.3% of his passes and averaged 192.4 passing yards per game. He threw six touchdowns and three interceptions, and also ran for 173 yards and one touchdown.
McCarthy’s 2025 season offered mixed signs. He played in 10 games for Minnesota because of multiple injuries, went 6-4 as a starter, completed 57.6% of his passes and averaged 163.2 passing yards per game. He threw 11 touchdowns, but the injuries kept him from building any steady momentum.
That leaves the Vikings with a choice that is open in name and real in practice. Murray is the more proven quarterback, but the team’s own words suggest the job is not reserved for him. McCarthy, meanwhile, still has the draft capital and the organizational patience that come with being the 10th pick, which makes this one of the league’s most closely watched camp battles.
For more on how Murray and McCarthy fit into Minnesota’s quarterback picture, see Justin Jefferson on Kyler Murray, J.J. McCarthy and Vikings QB room.
