Seems like everyone in town wants to know when Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell will name his starting quarterback for the regular season opening game against the Packers on September 13.
The veterans report to training camp at TCO Performance Center on July 28. On August 18 or 23 O’Connell could announce his choice between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy.
The Vikings will host the Ravens for scrimmages on August 19 and 20 at TCO Performance Center. This is prior to their August 22 preseason home game against the Baltimore-based team. Speculation has the Ravens fielding a top 10 or even top five defense in 2026 and that unit should offer a challenge to Minnesota’s quarterbacks and offense.
After spring practices and activities, neither Murray, the 28-year-old in his first season with the Vikings, or the 23-year-old McCarthy in his third with the club, was able to claim the starting job. The two split snaps in the spring, likely to the frustration of Murray who was a seven-year starter with the Cardinals and trying to learn a new offense. McCarthy missed his entire first season and started 10 games last season.
It seems highly plausible O’Connell will want to designate his starter by the second half of August, rather than wait until even closer to the regular season opener. The eve of the scrimmages, Tuesday, August 18, could be the date O’Connell names his starter. Or he might evaluate the play of his quarterbacks in the Raven scrimmages and game, then announce a decision on Sunday, August 23.
O’Connell wouldn’t commit to a timeline last month. “…But those guys…know we have a plan in place to make sure that the decision we make is going to be about what’s best for the Minnesota Vikings. The timeline of that does involve making sure we get our starter ready to go.
“We want to make sure by the time we play the Green Bay Packers that there’s been ample time to have the best possible offense we can have to help our football team. The quarterback is going to play a big role in that. …”
Murray is the overwhelming betting favorite to emerge as the starter. Although the Cardinals gave up on Murray, his resume and profile instill optimism among those who want to feel it. In 2019 he was the Pro Football Offensive Rookie of the Year. Twice in his career he was a Pro Bowler.
Murray, though, at times struggled in his career with the Cardinals and even this spring when learning a new system and playing with new teammates. How well he absorbs and executes Minnesota’s sophisticated and challenging offense will go far in determining his status.
Learning can be accelerated by players who have the capacity and commitment. The Vikings signed veteran Carson Wentz on August 24 last year. On September 21 he led the team to a regular season win over the Bengals.
Murray has a career passing rating of 92.2 which is above average for a veteran quarterback. Four times in his career he has thrown for over 3,500 yards. In 2,941 passing attempts he has totaled 121 TD passes with 60 interceptions. Murray is known for his arm strength and velocity, and running skills, but the Cardinals gave up on him because of inconsistency, an injury history and expensive contract.
It will be fascinating to see how Murray fits in with the Vikings, or if he does. O’Connell is known as a quarterback coaching guru and among the questions of intrigue about Murray is building some of the offense around his running ability.
Listed at 5-10 and 207 pounds. Murray is an electric runner. There’s an impressive list of NFL quarterbacks, past and present, who were extraordinary at scrambling and running. But Murray invites comparisons with Michael Vick, considered by authorities as perhaps the best of them all.
New Vikings assistant head coach Frank Smith likely will play a role in the use of Murray to win games with his feet as well as his arms. Smith is known for his running game prowess. His previous stops include with the Chargers where he was first running game coordinator/offensive line coach, and then offensive coordinator. Smith was voted by NFL players as the top offensive coordinator in 2023.
If Murray doesn’t fulfill predictions, he will win the Minnesota starting job, it will be a major career setback. He’s on a one-year contract with the Vikings and is playing in 2026 for his next deal. A failed season could also end perceptions around the NFL that he is a starting quarterback caliber player.
The drama for him starts shortly.
Worth Noting
The University of Minnesota’s M Club, one of Americas’ s largest and oldest varsity letterwinner clubs, will induct 10 new Hall of Fame members on October 2 in a ceremony at Huntington Bank Stadium. But not included among the inductees is Minnesota native Matt Spaeth who won the John Mackey award in 2006 as the most outstanding tight end in college football.
Spaeth, a two-time All-Big Ten selection who holds the school career record for tight ends with 1,293 receiving yards, was a four-year starter for the Golden Gophers. It’s puzzling why he has been overlooked so long for Hall of Fame selection.
Brian Truitt of USA Today listed 25 all-time movies to celebrate the 250th anniversary of America last week. Two were sports flicks: “Field of Dreams” and “Rocky.” I’d toss in “The Natural”, too. Who have you got?
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