EAGAN, Minn. — At the Minnesota Vikings’ second OTA of the spring, and the first open to local media, Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy each took snaps with projected starters and worked against the likely first-team defense. The session, held in May with no pads and some drills at half speed, offered an initial look at the team’s quarterback competition.
Murray made many of the afternoon’s most eye-catching throws, displaying downfield touch and accuracy. He also delivered the session’s most notable line, saying, “My confidence is unshakeable.” The day underscored a noticeable gap between the two players, even with the caveat that it was a single, non-contact practice.
McCarthy’s work contained few obvious mistakes. One incomplete pass — a throw to the flat that cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. nearly intercepted — came on a play in which two receivers drifted too close to one another. McCarthy twice referenced accuracy in his post-practice comments and pointed to the off-season focus on precision after completing 57.6 percent of his passes in 10 starts last season. He said he emphasized “ball placement, putting it in the right spots” and was “focusing on the ball placement for each routes for certain coverages.”
The difference between the quarterbacks was illustrated on two deep completions to Jordan Addison. On the initial 7-on-7 play, McCarthy’s deep throw down the left sideline forced Addison to adjust and make a leaping catch that left him rolling out of bounds short of the goal line. Later, Murray lofted a pass to the right sideline that hit Addison in stride with a half-step on cornerback James Pierre; on a live, padded play that likely would have required only one broken tackle for a touchdown.
Beyond throws, other factors such as leadership and familiarity with teammates remain relevant. McCarthy has two years inside the Vikings locker room and noted that teammates “really know who I am and what I’m all about.” Right tackle Brian O’Neill said on the “Green Light with Chris Long” podcast this spring that “guys believe” in McCarthy and added, “I love that kid.”
