The quarterback battle rages on at TCO Performance Center for the Minnesota Vikings between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy. Through five training camp practices, there isn’t a ton of separation between the two, but we are starting to see themes develop.

Within the competition, Murray is maintaining, perhaps increasing his lead due to two main factors:

• Consistency in processing and decision-making
• Layering the football over defenders

NFL personnel don’t believe in J.J. McCarthy

McCarthy isn’t showcasing himself to be the player who the Vikings thought they were drafting at 10th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. The competition isn’t doing him any favors, either, as Murray continues to be the overwhelming favorite.

The Athletic’s Mike Sando released his quarterback tiers ranking, where McCarthy graded in tier-4, which is classified as either an unproven player without enough information to classify or a veteran who wouldn’t be an ideal full-time starter. The only quarterback in the 35-player sample size that ranked below McCarthy was Shedeur Sanders of the Cleveland Browns.

The one description of McCarthy from an offensive coach really speaks volumes about where he’s at.

“Football looks hard for him.”

“Of course, playing quarterback in the NFL is hard, but McCarthy walked into an enviable situation. The Vikings have arguably the league’s best receiver in Jefferson and a highly regarded play-calling coach in O’Connell,” wrote Sando.

The fact that McCarthy walked into such a good situation is a big deal when we have the conversation about what he is right now. He didn’t walk into playing for the New York Jets or Arizona Cardinals, as Murray did in 2019. The 2025 Vikings were an excellent base to put a young quarterback into. Failing there arguably says more about the player than it does the offense itself.