This time last year, the Minnesota Vikings‘ quarterback room consisted of J.J. McCarthy, Sam Howell, and Max Brosmer. There was no reason to believe anyone but McCarthy would be the team’s starter heading into the season.
Now, the Vikings enter OTAs with Kyler Murray, Carson Wentz, McCarthy, and Brosmer. We’ve been told there is a quarterback competition, but whether this is a legitimate battle doesn’t matter as much as this: the floor of the room has been elevated.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert acknowledged the offseason moves’ impact on the quarterback room and says that it’s the single biggest differentiator from last year.
The upshot is that the Vikings’ season is not tied to McCarthy’s development. Either McCarthy will make a huge leap and beat out Murray in camp, or — more likely — the Vikings will have a proven veteran in Murray who could reach new heights in this offense. Re-signing Wentz for extra insurance demonstrates how serious the Vikings were about elevating their depth.
It isn’t just that the room is better. Seifert notes Murray’s dynamic skill set, giving Kevin O’Connell a unique quarterback unlike any other he has coached since joining the Vikings in 2022.
It’s hard not to think about the possibilities of Murray in this offense. He’ll provide an accurate and strong arm to the Vikings’ downfield passing concepts, once he gets accustomed to an offense that likely will have him working under center more often than he did with the Cardinals. Murray will also offer a new element of escapability that coach Kevin O’Connell hasn’t had in Minnesota, with the brief exception of Joshua Dobbs in 2023. Under O’Connell, the Vikings have been double-digit winners in the regular season when they have had solid, veteran quarterbacking. They were 13-4 with Kirk Cousins in 2022 and 14-3 with Sam Darnold in 2024. Murray more than fits the profile.
Sometimes, seasons never get off on the right foot, and teams never recover. That felt like how the 2025 Vikings were, never finding their identity as McCarty struggled in his first year as a starter. Because of the poor passing game, Minnesota started the season 4-8 and missed the playoffs despite having the league’s third-ranked defense.
Better health along the offensive line could go a long way as well. But whether it’s Murray or, unlikely but possible, McCarthy, starting he Vikings are expecting to bounce back in 2026 because of their commitment to improving the quarterback room this offseason.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Minnesota Vikings QB situation is on an uptick heading into OTAs