Whoever wins the competition between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy this summer, their first big test will be leading the Minnesota Vikings in the 2026 regular-season opener against the hated Green Bay Packers.
If it's Murray who wins the Vikings' QB1 job (as most expect him to), it might not be long until he's regarded as one of the best signal-callers in the entire NFC North division.
For now, though, Murray is the fourth-ranked quarterback in the division heading into training camp, at least according to Lombardi Ave's Freddie Boston, who also admitted (likely reluctantly) that Minnesota's newest passer could be more of a problem for opposing teams than some are expecting.
"4. Kyler Murray, Minnesota Vikings
Murray technically hasn't won the starting job yet, but that's only a matter of time, right?! The veteran gives the Vikings a significant upgrade at the position and perhaps makes them more dangerous than many realize.
His ranking at No. 4 says more about the quarterback quality in the division than anything else.
...If the 2019 first overall pick is fully healthy, he could be in line for a serious bounce-back season. Kevin O'Connell has an excellent track record of bringing the best out of quarterbacks, while Murray is a game-changer on the ground. His 3,193 career rushing yards and 32 touchdowns are enough to give any defensive coordinator a nightmare."
Minnesota Vikings QB Kyler Murray ranked as the No. 4 QB in the NFC North
As Boston mentioned, Murray hasn't officially been named Minnesota's starting quarterback for the 2026 season. But with his competition this summer being McCarthy, it would be a huge surprise if the former Arizona Cardinals passer didn't emerge as the Vikings' starter for Week 1.
As for the rest of the NFC North quarterback rankings, Boston has Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears in the No. 3 spot, Jared Goff of the Detroit Lions in at No. 2, and then coming in at the top is Packers' signal-caller Jordan Love.
No one should probably be reading this with their jaw hitting the ground after Love was given the top spot by someone who covers the Packers on a daily basis, but, one, it's July, and two, the difference in talent between each of the assumed starting quarterbacks in the NFC North isn't that large.
The order of these rankings will likely fluctuate throughout the 2026 season, and it's even possible that each quarterback could spend time at the top of the ranking for multiple weeks.
Despite placing Murray at the bottom, the best parts of Boston's comments about the new Vikings quarterback all had to do with his admissions about how he could be a problem for Green Bay and the rest of the league next season.
Everyone in the division knows what Minnesota head coach Kevin O'Connell has done in the past with veteran quarterbacks who have basically been given up on by the rest of the NFL, so, unsurprisingly, many are expecting something similar to happen with Murray in 2026 (including Packers fans).
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