Andrew Buller-Russ
The Minnesota Vikings wanted to increase the competition throughout all levels of their quarterback room this offseason. By adding former No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray to compete with 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy, the Vikings did just that. They also strengthened the depth by bringing back former No. 2 overall pick Carson Wentz and still have 2025 UDFA Max Brosmer, who lucked into a pair of starts as a rookie.
So far, head coach Kevin O’Connell has been intentional about fairly splitting up the reps between Murray and McCarthy, giving each a chance to earn the starting job. While McCarthy has improved, so far, Murray appears to be the frontrunner to start for the Vikings to kick off the 2026 season. Soon, the Vikings could make things not so even.
Related: Longtime NFL Agent Expects Bad Blood Between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy
According to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero’s appearance on KFAN, the Vikings could soon alter their rep structure during practices.
“I would anticipate, you know, as soon as this week… you may see the reps, it maybe evolve a little bit… I don’t believe that Kevin needs to take this all the way through the third preseason game to determine his starting quarterback. You’re going to probably have a pretty good idea by the end of spring what direction this is going to go.”
Tom Pelissero on Vikings QBs
Ok, so, say Murray does win the starting QB job. What would it mean for McCarthy? He’s still under contract for two more seasons, but his trade value will continue to diminish unless he gets back on the field and performs well.
Meanwhile, Pelissero believes that if McCarthy is slated to become a backup in Minnesota, that trade speculation could ramp up.
“Let’s say Kyler wins the job, do you have J.J. as the backup? Do you potentially look to trade him while there’s still some intrigue within the league and you might be able to get more for him with two years left on his rookie contract than with one year left?”
Pelissero, continued
Here's the video of @TomPelissero this morning on KFAN, with steam that the Vikings' QB competition is already nearing its end (plus some JJ trade speculation)… 👀👀👀
— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) June 4, 2026
"I would anticipate, you know, as soon as this week… you may see the reps, it maybe evolve a little bit…… https://t.co/JMzhdaNiF9 pic.twitter.com/YtVx7QTmyp
If Murray does scamper away with the Vikings’ starting QB job and plays well, we’d imagine both sides would prefer to work out a longer-term extension. If so, that would make McCarthy more than expendable, especially with Wentz still lurking as a competent backup.
Of course, if Murray doesn’t perform the way the Vikings believe he can, then they could later have seller’s remorse by parting ways with McCarthy too soon, leaving new GM Nolan Teasley hunting for another new QB next offseason. There’s certainly risk on both sides, but maximizing the value within your roster is important too, so we’ll see how Teasley handles a fragile situation.
Related: 5 J.J. McCarthy Trade Landing Spots Once Kyler Murray Wins Vikings Starting Job
