Detroit Lakes, MN (KDLM) – Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell says veteran quarterback Kyler Murray has picked up Minnesota’s offense faster than expected, though the team is not ready to name a starter with its preseason opener less than a week away.
O’Connell was asked Sunday where Murray stands in the offensive system compared to where the coach thought he would be at this point of training camp. “I think mentally he’s definitely probably ahead of where I thought,” O’Connell said. The remarks came before the Vikings took the field at TCO Stadium for their annual night practice, and were first reported by Kevin Seifert of ESPN.
O’Connell added that there are new layers to the offense that are unfamiliar to both quarterbacks, and he gave no signal that a decision on the job is close. He told reporters nothing has changed regarding the timeline, and said the team will communicate the decision internally and publicly once it reaches that point. The Vikings had a scheduled off day Monday.
Murray came to Minnesota in March after seven seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals released the former No. 1 overall pick while still owing him $36.8 million for 2026, and Murray signed a one-year deal with the Vikings worth $1.3 million, the league minimum for players with seven or more seasons of experience. The contract includes a no-tag clause, meaning Minnesota cannot use the franchise tag on him after this season. Murray was the Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2019 and made the Pro Bowl in each of his next two seasons. He played a career-low five games last year before a foot injury ended his season, throwing for 962 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions. In 87 career games, all starts, he has completed 67.1% of his passes for 20,460 yards and 121 touchdowns, and rushed for 3,193 yards and 32 scores.
He is competing with J.J. McCarthy, the 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft. McCarthy missed his entire rookie season with a knee injury, then started 10 games last year while completing 57.6% of his throws for 1,632 yards and 11 touchdowns. He went 6-4 as a starter but missed seven starts because of an ankle sprain, a concussion and a fractured throwing hand.
Murray has taken the majority of the work with the starters through the first two-plus weeks of camp. Through the first week of practices, he took 73 snaps in 11-on-11 drills to McCarthy’s 38. That flipped Sunday night, when McCarthy took more team snaps than Murray for the first time, 32 to 26. ESPN reported that Murray entered camp as the favorite and that sources believe he still is. Receiver Justin Jefferson, asked what he has seen from the quarterbacks this week, said he has seen improvement. Jefferson added that he hopes the competition benefits McCarthy regardless of the outcome, saying the pressure of someone pushing for the starting role tends to sharpen a younger player. The Vikings open the preseason Saturday at MetLife Stadium against the New York Giants. Kickoff is set for 12:00 p.m. Central, with the game airing on FOX 9 and KFAN.
Minnesota opens the regular season September 13th at U.S. Bank Stadium against Green Bay.
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