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MN Vikings QBs Couldn’t Sound More Different
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- MN Vikings QBs Couldn’t Sound More Different
Photo via Kyler Murray on Instagram (@K1)
The Minnesota Vikings held their first OTA practice of the summer open to reporters on Wednesday.
Not only was media allowed to watch the first few pages of the offseason " QB competition " unfold on the field, but both JJ McCarthy and Kyler Murray spoke with reporters this afternoon too.
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It's a do-or-die season for both players. Kyler Murray is trying to prove his status as a high-end starting quarterback in the NFL. Meanwhile, JJ McCarthy is trying to prove he can swim in the NFL waters at all.
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Whoever ultimately falls back to QB2, if they do not get requisite opportunities during the season due to an injury or something else, then they will enter next offseason with a ton of questions surrounding whether either guy can be a bona fide starter in the league.
Vikings QB competition heating up…?
However, one Minnesota Vikings quarterback sounded a lot more desperate than the other Wednesday, when they spoke with reporters. Unsurprisingly, that was JJ McCarthy, who went into his scrum-style interview today at TCO Performance Center like he was jumping a boat off the shores of Normandy.
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He described Kyler Murray as just another guys who's sitting on the other side of the room as him. McCarthy described Murray's arrival as " an organizational decision " multiple times, with an energy about him that reminded me of Kevin Garnett getting read for a Game 7.
JJ wouldn't go as far as to say that there's awkwardness between himself and Kyler. Instead, he compared the situation to high school. He's just another guy on the other side of the room.
#Vikings QB JJ McCarthy on his relationship so far with Kyler Murray:
"It's just like two guys in a classroom. He sits on one side and I sit on the other side. It's the coaches' responsibility to teach us and coach us."
(🎥 @Vikings ) pic.twitter.com/GQmoLPMJzf— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) May 27, 2026
"It's just like two guys in a classroom. He sits on one side, and I sit on the other side. It's the coaches' responsibility to teach us and coach us."
JJ McCarthy on if there's awkwardness in the QB room:
"Awkwardness? It's just like the same feeling when you're in high school, and there's another person on the other side of the room. That's just kind of how it is. I wouldn't say there's any awkwardness."
(Via #Vikings mobile… pic.twitter.com/DMJjAHvdVM— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) May 27, 2026
"Awkwardness? You know, it's just like the same feeling when you're in high school, and there's another person on the other side of the room. That's just kind of how it is so I wouldn't say there's any awkwardness."
Related: Vikings Declared Best Landing Spot for Struggling Young QB
JJ McCarthy doesn't seem like a quarterback who is all that happy to have competition the caliber of Kyler Murray this summer. Nonetheless, he's approaching these practices like he's fighting for his NFL life. And that's fair, since he very well might be.
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Shortly after media spoke with the MN Vikings' 2024 No. 10 overall draft pick, it was time to speak with the new guy — a former No. 1 overall pick in 2019, who unlike McCarthy, has experienced the highs of being a top 10 QB… along with some of the lows his new teammate currently finds himself dealing with.
Kyler Murray carrying a different tune than JJ McCarthy
However, given how different Murray sounded during his short session with reporters, you would have thought he was involved in a completely different quarterback competition than the one McCarthy talked about just a little while earlier.
Instead of positioning the two's relationship as icy and competitive, Murray told media that he's focused on getting to know all of his new teammates as best he can, while making sure he's positioning himself to be the best possible teammate he can be .
Kyler feels immense gratitude for his teammates. He highlights the team's welcoming culture, allowing him to be his authentic self without any ego getting in the way. #TeamCulture #Gratitude pic.twitter.com/RonddAYrV1
— Ahmad Hicks (@AhmadHicksTV) May 27, 2026
Being aroudn the guys, no ego, really just embracing the whole culture. The community has been great but the guys have been awesome. There hasn't been any weird energy or anything like that. They've welcomed me with open arms."
Kyler Murray didn't seem like he was prepping for any kind of MN Vikings QB war at TCO Performance Center. There was no talk about teammates on the other side of the room, or any awkwardness that might evolve from feuding quarterbacks.
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Instead, it was quite the opposite. While the 28-year-old veteran may only be five years older than JJ McCarthy, you would have thought listening to their interviews today, that he is 25 years the elder.
Part of that, Murray openly admitted, was a willingness to help out the younger quarterbacks around him, even if he doesn't see himself as an NFL veteran just yet. The Texas A&M and Oklahoma alum even went on to say that he's already been lending lots of friendly advice to JJ.
#Vikings QB Kyler Murray on his relationship with JJ McCarthy so far:
"It's been great. Obviously, he's a younger guy, so any way I can help him, I feel like I played seven years going on eight… Giving him any knowledge he needs."
(Via Vikings mobile app) https://t.co/S8HXNCHqCD pic.twitter.com/dC21rNbMWb— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) May 27, 2026
Murray : "It's been great. Obviously, I know he's a younger guy, so any way I can help him. I've played seven years going on eight. So I'm considered a veteran even though I don't see myself as that. I'll give him any knowledge he needs. Again, we're both competitors and I know we both want what's best for the team."
Reporter : "He's [McCarthy's been] receptive to that?"
Murray : "Of course, of course. Yeah, he's overly acceptive — always communicating, asking questions and stuff like that so it's been good.
Despite what JJ McCarthy told members of the media Wednesday, Murray makes it sound like McCarthy has been up in his ear looking for any help he can get from a guy who has seen a lot more of the NFL than he has.
But if that's the case, why did he act like he did with reporters today? Well, that's a question we find ourselves asking far too often with the youngster has a microphone in his face.
Well these are two VERY different answers….
Credit: @alec_lewis pic.twitter.com/PjTB6BIAhq— Jason Harmon (@JasonHarmonNFL) May 27, 2026
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