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2026 Vikings Training Camp Preview: Quarterbacks

To gear up for the fun, Vikings.com is using the time before camp begins to reintroduce the team's position groups.

GROUP: QUARTERBACKS

No matter the quarterback status of a franchise, previewing the most important role on the field is a natural jumping off point. Factor in that there's intense intrigue surrounding Minnesota's QB situation, and it feels doubly valuable to first set the stage with an outline of the ongoing competition between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy, plus important elements to be on the lookout for at camp and beyond.

RETURNEES: 2025 starters J.J. McCarthy (6-4 record), Carson Wentz (2-3) and Max Brosmer (1-1)

NEWCOMER: Kyler Murray

2025 RECAP: Transitioning from Sam Darnold to McCarthy after the former led the Vikings to 14 wins and garnered Pro Bowl accolades in his lone Minnesota season was not seamless. McCarthy made key plays in his first start but struggled to stay healthy and posted the worst passer rating (72.6) among 33 qualifying quarterbacks. Darnold won 14 games, again, and helped Seattle secure its first Lombardi Trophy in more than a decade. To his credit, McCarthy collected two divisional wins within his first three appearances, and he won his final four starts as Minnesota shrugged off the disappointment of an early elimination and finished on a five-game win streak.

Wentz was added to the roster as a free agent on Aug. 24 last year. The No. 2 overall pick in 2016 debuted for the Vikings during a landslide win at home against Cincinnati in Week 3 (after McCarthy had suffered a high ankle sprain the prior week), and he nearly pulled off a two-fer overseas in Weeks 4 and 5. Wentz played through injury for several weeks and ultimately had to have shoulder surgery in November.

The unit's third starting quarterback last season, Brosmer, faced the toughest test imaginable when injuries moved him to the top of the depth chart for Minnesota's Week 13 contest at the Seahawks. The undrafted former Gophers QB tossed four interceptions in that shutout loss, but he responded with positive command of a conservative script against Detroit on Christmas to notch his first NFL victory.

POSITION OVERVIEW: Adding Murray, a two-time Pro Bowler, to the mix accomplished one of Minnesota's primary objectives this offseason – to create the most competitive quarterback room possible. The No. 1 overall draft pick in 2019 has missed 21 games because of injuries the past three years, but he has performed like a star when healthy. Murray's 22,240 net passing + rushing yards since entering the league ranks 11th – the Top 10 consists of Patrick Mahomes (31,715), Josh Allen (30,883), Jared Goff (29,005), Lamar Jackson (26,058), Dak Prescott (25,222), Justin Herbert (25,119), Matthew Stafford (24,917), Baker Mayfield (24,605), Kirk Cousins (23,281) and Aaron Rodgers (22,621). Moreover, Murray is one of 20 players in history with 120-plus passing touchdowns and at least 30 rushing. Allen and Jackson are the only others to hit those totals since 2019. Murray's elite rushing ability (3,193 yards) could add a wrinkle to a scheme that wants to be balanced – not to mention, it could loosen the vice grip that defenses deploy to try to contain Justin Jefferson.

McCarthy doesn't have comparable elusiveness or breakaway speed, but running on designs and scrambling is part of his game, too. Although his whatever-it-takes spirit is admirable, McCarthy does need to better protect himself with smart throwaways and use discretion outside of the pocket. His sack rate (10%) was the highest for a Vikings QB that started 10 games since Fran Tarkenton in 1973 (10.2%) … of course, the inconsistent offensive line groupings (26 iterations across the five positions) compounded him holding onto the ball and daring to be invincible. McCarthy's most efficient – and first turnover-free – passing effort occurred against Washington, when he prioritized quick distribution to activate his playmakers and played freely.

Wentz provides the QB collective with 10 years of pro knowledge and 103 games (99 starts) of insurance, and Brosmer is an astute reserve who fast-tracked his development by falling and rising as a rookie. They won't be under the microscope in camp like McCarthy or Murray, but they are respected for where they are in their careers.

HIDDEN NUMBER: Head Coach Kevin O'Connell's winning percentage is .794 (27-7) when the Vikings Week 1 starter completes a full slate of games. In the other two campaigns he's coached in Minnesota – when he's leaned on multiple starters (seven different players) – his winning percentage is .471 (16-18).

WHAT TO WATCH IF YOU MAKE IT TO CAMP: O'Connell intends to keep the QB competition alive through at least a portion of training camp, but that doesn't mean reps will be split 50-50 between McCarthy and Murray. Also, that doesn't mean that alarms should blare when one gets more work with the 1s than the other on a certain day. More telling than a single practice is how the quarterbacks are rolled out over the course of a week (and weeks). Along those lines, it's not worth sitting in the stands and tracking completion percentages; instead, follow the entire practice and stack the days as good or bad.

3 KEY QUESTIONS FOR VIKINGS QUARTERBACKS

1. If it's Murray, how quickly will he "master" the offense?

Countless Vikings past and present, including Cousins (who had 10 seasons of experience before O'Connell's hire in 2022), have acknowledged the complexity of O'Connell's system. The verbiage, the details, the breadth of concepts. Accordingly, there's no world where Murray is a master of the offense by Sept. 13 – or even this calendar year if you apply the 10,000-hour rule. That is OK because mastery in this case can be scaled down to control, to comfort, to enough understanding of the operation and intention of play calls that allows Murray to not overthink and do his job instinctually.

In other words, Murray's hold on the offense won't hinge on him knowing it perfectly and never erring but how quickly he shows confidence in deciding where to go with the football.

2. What are discernable signs of growth for McCarthy?

After injuries caused him to miss 24 of 34 contests across his first two seasons, McCarthy's availability must become his best ability. But what else? Where does the 23-year-old need to make strides?

Layering the football is a good starting place. O'Connell talks about exploiting voids and vacancies like a gym rat talks about utilizing compound lifts – it's foundational to success. Oftentimes, the spots left open by a defense are behind someone and in front of someone else — and gone in a flash. That's where a touch pass – less oomph, more finesse – can compromise a defense and, likewise, a one-speed pitch can be self-harming. Consistent and relaxed mechanics are intertwined with this aspect of McCarthy's game.

Another facet is McCarthy's accuracy, which is linked to his footwork and his head placement (or his vision). Are balls on hands? Are they leading players? Are they delivered with anticipation? Last season, McCarthy posted a bad-throw percentage of 21.3 (league average was 16.1%), only ranking better than Michael Penix, Jr., (24%), and he owned the lowest on-target percentage (66.5) – the average was 74.9. Additionally, McCarthy had 16 attempts batted away at the line; the only players with more were Trevor Lawrence (20), Caleb Williams (18) and Dak Prescott (18), except they tried 317, 325 and 357 more passes, respectively, than McCarthy. That means he needs better navigation of the pocket.

3. Which quarterback will emerge atop the depth chart?

The Vikings invested heavily in McCarthy when they made him the highest-drafted quarterback in team history. Injuries have robbed him so far from finding his footing. Still, he has shown real promise. He rallied the troops in Week 1 last season at Chicago and was recognized as the NFC Offensive Player of the Week. He burst into the Lions Den after a five-game layoff and stuck it to the then-reigning NFC North Champions, and he buried an abundance of noise at the end of the year to rip off four consecutive wins.

McCarthy has that momentum and three offseasons of exposure to the system working to his advantage.

Murray is hardly your ordinary challenger, though.

He's one of this generation's best athletes. He's pieced together stretches of brilliance and is part of an organization now that has a ready-to-win makeup that never existed when he was on the Cardinals.

O'Connell aimed to create the deepest and most competitive quarterbacks room that he could. On paper, it's hard to contend there's any deeper than three Top 10 draft picks and upside galore. Now it's up to execution. Murray or McCarthy. McCarthy or Murray. The debate will be solved exactly how it should be.

On the grass.