Minnesota Vikings 2026 Training Camp Position Battle to Watch

NFL teams have wrapped up their respective organized team activities (OTAs) and minicamps, and after a near month-long break, they'll pick things back up near the end of July for training camp.

The first preseason game takes place on Thursday, Aug. 6 on NBC when the Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals face off in the Hall of Fame Game. The rest of the preseason's first week will take place from Aug. 13-15, followed by Week 2 on Aug. 20-23, and Week 3 on Aug. 27-29.

But before the preseason gets underway, teams must first report to training camp. The Minnesota Vikings report to training camp on Aug. 1, and below is their biggest position battle to watch this summer.

Position Battle: QB | Kyler Murray vs. J.J. McCarthy

When the Vikings signed Kyler Murray, many assumed it was to push third-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy - or at the very least he'd be an insurance plan in case McCarthy struggled like he did last year.

But all reports out of Vikings camp so far this offseason is that this hasn't been much of a competition, and Murray has far outperformed McCarthy at every turn.

Add in the fact that McCarthy seems to be harboring resentment toward Murray for even being in town, and this has all the makings of a dramatic training camp "competition."

"It's just like two guys in a classroom," McCarthy said about having Murray on the team. "He sits on one side, I sit on the other side, and it's the coach's responsibility to teach us and coach us. 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, so I wouldn't say there's any awkwardness."

Murray has the edge over McCarthy in every area - experience, accuracy, mobility, the trust of the coaching staff, and he's been to the playoffs.

With the supporting cast he has in Minnesota - running backs Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason, wide receivers Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jauan Jennings, and tight end TJ Hockenson - Murray could be set up for another Pro Bowl-caliber season in 2026 if he wins the job.

But McCarthy shouldn't be automatically counted out. He's just two years removed from being a top-10 pick, he was 27-1 as a college starter, and he's won a national championship.

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This story was originally published June 22, 2026 at 4:07 PM.