Mandatory minicamp is over for the Minnesota Vikings and the quarterback competition is going to live on through the course of training camp. Head coach Kevin O’Connell made that very clear after practice on Thursday.

“There is a timeline to make sure that we can allow the competition to continue and advance and really lay out a training camp that will allow us to do that, but also make a timely decision,” said O’Connell

Kevin O’Connell makes it clear that quarterback competition will continue

We fully expected the quarterback competition to continue throughout training camp, especially since most of the offseason program isn’t at full speed, nor is any of it in pads. Both Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy have shown things throughout the offseason, with each quarterback getting praise from the beat writers on certain days.

There were also elements of the competition where it could end earlier than many thought, with hints being presented that minicamp could be the deciding factor.

“It’ll be really fascinating competition, one that I don’t anticipate is going to take the full preseason to sort out. I think the walk off field at the end of this week with a pretty good idea,” said NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

Making the decision based on mandatory minicamp would be a ballsy one for the Vikings to make, but it would clear things up going into training camp, especially since Murray made it clear that it was harder to learn the offense while splitting reps.

“I think the toughest part is having to split reps. It’s me already being behind, not getting the amount of reps that you know you would typically want to, gotta get learning an offense. That’s probably the toughest part,” said Murray on Tuesday.

Training camp will give Murray more time to get acclimated to the offense, especially since it’s more wordy than most offenses. With 5-6 weeks until the start of training camp, there will be a lot of time for both sides to put in more work, something wide receiver Justin Jefferson highlighted on Thursday.

“For sure, both,” said Jefferson about working out with Murray and McCarthy this summer. “Like I said, just carrying on what we have been doing for the past couple weeks, but at a different location.”

O’Connell made it clear that they have a timeline in place for making their decision.

“We want to make sure by the time we play the Green Bay Packers, that there’s been ample time to have the best possible offense we can have to help our football team, and the quarterback is going to play a big role in that,” O’Connell said. “That’s where we’re at right now. As far as the timeline goes, I think to give an actual date would not necessarily be accurate from a portrayal of how we see it, but there is a timeline to make sure that we can allow the competition to continue and advance and really lay out a training camp that will allow us to do that, but also make a timely decision.”

How long will the competition go? The turning point could be joint practices against the Baltimore Ravens in the third week of August. Until then, the discussion continues.