Though everyone expects it to go one way, the Minnesota Vikings will carry their quarterback competition between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy into training camp. Ideally, it won't go too far into camp so whoever is named the starter can get as much work with the other 10 starters as possible.
The broad question of when head coach Kevin O'Connell will give up the facade and name...likely Murray...the starting quarterback can have multiple suitable answers.
The Vikings' first preseason game will be on August 15, against the New York Giants on the road, and either Murray or McCarthy would be in line to get the start and play the first drive. How much they each play, with likely indication from O'Connell beforehand, will be worth watching.
The Vikings' second preseason game will be at home against the Baltimore Ravens on August 22. That seems ideal to have named a Week 1 starting quarterback in time for, so he can get some acknowledgement from the home crowd and the starting offense can get the most extensive preseason work it will get as a full unit.
The Vikings will also host the Ravens for two days of joint practices at TCO Performance Center on August 19 and 20.
During a recent edition of "The Alec Lewis Show", Alec Lewis of The Athletic had Judd Zulgad of SKOR North as his guest. In the episode, Lewis talked about how long the competition between Murray and McCarthy could be allowed to go.
"My answer was by joint practices August 20th against, you know, the Baltimore Ravens. If you've not figured it out, I think you are really opening up the opportunity for criticism."
Zulgad generally agreed with Lewis while pointing to there being "two weeks, tops" to figure it out in today's environment with limited practice time during camp.
Lewis finished with a bottom line thought about the timeline for O'Connell to name a starting quarterback.
" I mean, you start to get real dicey at that point or if it goes that long [beyond joint practices]."
Minnesota Vikings QB competition is lined up to be aided by one coach's influence
The Vikings' aforementioned first preseason opponent, the Giants, have a new head coach in John Harbaugh.
How much the Giants' starters will play in that game is to be determined, but it's plausible that the starting defense will go against the Vikings' "starting" offense (with or without a Week 1 starting quarterback being named) for at least one series.
It's possible that stretches to a couple of series, with Murray and McCarthy each getting a shot against New York's starting defense.
Then the joint practices against the Ravens, whom Harbaugh coached for 18 seasons, will come the following week. Jesse Minter has replaced Harbaugh as Baltimore's head coach, but much of the roster is the same.
There also may be a lot of overlap in defensive schemes between the Giants and the Ravens. Both defensive coordinators, Anthony Weaver (Ravens) and Dennard Wilson (Giants), spent time on Harbaugh's staff in Baltimore before taking defensive coordinator posts elsewhere in 2024.
So Harbaugh, or Harbaugh influence, may end up being a factor in the Vikings' quarterback competition in a way no one is quite thinking of yet.
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