Vikings Training Camp Thoughts (8/9): QB Conundrum Continues at Night Practice

EAGAN, MN — The Vikings are less than a week from their first preseason game of 2026 against the Giants at MetLife Stadium, and they still do not have a clear separation in their quarterback battle between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy.

The team held its annual night practice on Sunday in front of a sold-out crowd at TCO Stadium, a perfect opportunity for one QB to make a statement and drive the discourse in one clear direction. Unfortunately for Murray and McCarthy, they drove it straight into a ditch.

Here’s a breakdown of the night for both QBs and why their performances on Sunday are a microcosm of this entire competition.

J.J. McCarthy looked the part... until he didn’t

There was a period of time on Sunday where it looked like McCarthy could dominate Murray under the primetime lights. His performance in 7-on-7 work featured some of the best throws I’ve seen McCarthy make through camp.

Of particular note was a throw to Myles Price (h/t VikingzFanPage) on an out route that went against nearly every narrative used against McCarthy: a layered, accurate ball to his left.

Great throw by JJ McCarthy to Myles Price.

(Via Vikings IG) pic.twitter.com/XfASmuK05S
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) August 10, 2026

McCarthy also had great completions to tight ends Ben Yurosek and Bryson Nesbit, looking decisive as he completed each of his six attempts. Then came full team drills.

Once 11-on-11 action kicked off, McCarthy struggled. His most notable throw came on a deep shot to Justin Jefferson down the right sideline, a rare sight for the two in their time together. The pass was underthrown, but still counted for a deep completion. McCarthy would then struggle to find consistency the rest of the night, ending 6-for-17 in 11-on-11 for the night per SKOR North’s Judd Zulgad.

McCarthy was on the wrong end of the daily Charles Demmings highlight, a corner blitz where the rookie defender would have knocked McCarthy into next week if not for the red jersey. He did have two impressive throws in a situation to end practice, hitting second-year wideout Tai Felton both times before taking a sack and throwing consecutive incompletions to end practice.

What started with the potential for a dominant night sputtered into missed passes and indecision. Now, it was up to Murray.

Kyler Murray: man of mystery

Guessing which version of Murray you will see daily has been the ride of Vikings camp so far. While he has proven capable of incredibly impressive days, he has also thrown up some absolute duds. Sunday was his chance to change the narrative when it mattered most.

So, how did it go?

Murray had eight fewer pass attempts than McCarthy and a higher completion percentage for the night, but that does not tell the full story. Some of Murray’s earliest completions came on short lobs to his TEs that gained barely a yard, if that. He seemed to avoid many of the deep pass attempts that he impressed with earlier in the week,

Murray also had two interceptions; the first appeared to bobble into the hands of James Pierre, and the second came via a leaping Isaiah Rodgers Sr. Murray eventually found a rhythm in the last drill of practice, flashing his mobility and ripping a touchdown to Jordan Addison in a two-minute scenario.

Overall, though, it seemed too little too late.

What now?

If you were hoping the Vikings would have their QB situation figured out before their first preseason game, you’ll have to keep waiting. O’Connell told the press pool yesterday that he is still not ready to make the final call, according to Bring Me The News' Will Ragatz.

Unsurprisingly, Kevin O’Connell is not naming a starting QB right now.

He’s happy with their plan so far and notes the rep split has been about 50-50, which has given them a lot to learn and coach on.

Says “nothing has really changed” with the timeline for a decision.
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) August 9, 2026

In the meantime, the discourse will continue to grow more intriguing until one QB fully separates.

Arguments can be made for continuing the competition or shifting reps one way, but for now, here’s what we know: Murray shows radical day-to-day inconsistency, while McCarthy shows inconsistency from drill to drill. The team simply has too much at stake to enthusiastically bet it all on either variety of roller coaster we've seen so far.

Neither is exactly comforting for Vikings fans or O’Connell.

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