One Viking Whose Offseason Struggles Shouldn't Worry Fans

Some things just take time.

Any concerns that this Viking raised during the offseason won't be much of a worry to fans once the season begins. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The offseason is a great time for fans to speculate on their future, but for supporters of the Vikings, it’s an annual rite of passage to speculate on the quarterback position. For years, Vikings fans have taken a ride on the quarterback carousel during the spring, and they’re hoping that Kyler Murray can follow in the steps of Sam Darnold, Brett Favre and others to become their next version of lightning in a bottle.

That journey had some potholes during minicamp. Attempting to learn head coachKevin O’Connell’s system, Murray made a handful of mistakes during 7-on-7 drills and later lamented the lack of practice reps as he split time with J.J. McCarthy.

This opened the door for McCarthy to make up ground as the Vikings get ready for training camp. But if you think minicamp is an indication of how Murray could perform in Minnesota, past history shows it may be more of an acclimation process than a foreshadowing of the upcoming season.

Kyler Murray should get more comfortable in Kevin O’Connell’s offense with time

Murray’s difficulty in picking up the offense is concerning but not unprecedented. When O’Connell arrived in Minnesota before the 2022 season, Kirk Cousins revealed that he used flashcards to pick up the offense while Adam Thielen admitted he was “swimming” trying to get everything down. 

As a result, Cousins completed 63.4% of his passes for 2,461 yards, 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions in his first nine starts under O’Connell. But he turned things up as he got more comfortable, completing 69.5% of his passes for 2,086 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions over the final seven games.

Learning Kevin O'Connell's playbook isn't easy, but that doesn't mean that Kyler Murray won't get there before the season kicks into overdrive. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Darnold was in a similar situation in the build-up to the 2024 season, but it still took time for him to reach his full potential. In his first nine starts, Darnold completed 68.6% of his passes for 2,141 yards, 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He vaulted himself into MVP consideration over his final eight games, completing 64.1% of his passes for 2,178 yards, 18 touchdowns and two interceptions.

Cousins and Darnold are two quarterbacks who have different styles from Murray. But even if Murray has dual-threat ability, he should be able to settle in the more time he has in O’Connell’s offense. As he noted, splitting reps could make that difficult, but that could change quickly if he provides the baseline level of play that O’Connell is looking for.

It’s also noteworthy that McCarthy doesn’t have to beat Murray during camp. He likely has to exceed it, considering the Vikings know what Murray will bring and saw McCarthy’s inconsistencies throughout last season.

Perhaps Murray’s minicamp made things a little more interesting going into camp. Regardless, it shouldn’t keep him from winning the starting job and beginning the season as the Vikings’ quarterback.