Mandatory minicamp has now concluded for the 2026 Minnesota Vikings, and we still don't know who will be starting at quarterback for the team when they open up the upcoming season against the Green Bay Packers.
According to multiple reporters who were in attendance for the Vikings' three-day minicamp this week, Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy split reps very evenly with Minnesota's first-team offense. But with the Vikings not really running anything at full speed until training camp, it has still been difficult to tell if either quarterback has gained an edge over the other.
Despite the appearance of an even quarterback battle in Minnesota, many would still be surprised if Murray doesn't enter the 2026 as the team's starting signal-caller.
This thought process was echoed on Friday by NFL Media's Tom Pelissero during an appearance on "The Rich Eisen Show" on Friday when he was asked who he currently believes will win the Vikings' QB1 job.
"I would tell you, Rich, the Vikings staff, the people who are in the know on that decision, have been very careful not to let anything slip in that regard.
[But] I would certainly say, if I had to guess, I would guess it is Kyler Murray.”
NFL insider currently believes the Minnesota Vikings will pick Kyler Murray to be the team's QB1 for 2026
Despite choosing Murray on Friday, Pelissero did also mention that McCarthy has been "doing everything right" this offseason.
"The other thing I would say too Rich, J.J. has done everything right, other than one of 10 quotes in that press conference a couple of weeks ago, he's done everything right through this offseason, from everything I've been told in terms of his attitude, his approach, [and] how he's maximizing the reps.”
So, yes, Murray does seem to have the lead in Minnesota's QB1 battle over McCarthy after the team's mandatory minicamp this week. However, the lead might not be as large as some were expecting after the Vikings originally signed Murray back in March.
It's also difficult for both Murray and McCarthy to gain much ground over the other in OTAs and minicamp, since almost nothing they're doing on the practice field is being done at full speed. This is still very much a teaching and learning period of the offseason for every team in the NFL.
Once Minnesota gets through a few training camp practices this summer, though, a clear leader should really start to emerge in this battle that currently has the entire Vikings fanbase on the edges of their seats.
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