Top Vikings storylines after minicamp, from QBs to new GM
Here's a look at the Kyler Murray/J.J. McCarthy QB battle, the WR room, and GM Nolan Teasley's first moves.
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EAGAN, Minn. -- The Minnesota Vikings' on-field work this spring began with quarterback Kyler Murray fulfilling expectations as the most talented quarterback on the roster.
It ended with evidence that Murray had bogged down during the installation of a complex offense, which by his own acknowledgement was taking place amid fewer reps than he is accustomed to.
In the big picture, however, the basic premise of the Vikings' quarterback competition did not appear to flip. Murray remains the favorite to win the starting job in training camp, even as incumbent J.J. McCarthy made clear moves to stabilize his rocky 2025 performance. Murray's advantage in arm talent -- throwing to a difficult spot, varying the speeds and trajectories of his passes -- was evident. And what might be the most significant differentiator in the competition -- his elite-level running ability -- was dormant during the noncontact drills NFL teams use during spring practices.
"I definitely understand his difficulty of understanding some things," receiver Justin Jefferson said of Murray, "just because this offense is difficult -- and especially going against our defense. Seeing the different coverages, seeing the rolls, the disguises that our defense does is really going to help him out when the season comes if he's the starting quarterback.... So I'm pretty sure that he's going to get to that point where he knows [the offense] like the back of his hand, and he's calling the plays freely."
J.J. McCarthy, 9, and Kyler Murray have been splitting reps with the first team as they battle for the Vikings' starting QB job. AP Photo/Abbie Parr Indeed, Murray appeared hesitant at times and threw consecutive interceptions during the first day of minicamp. He threw another during the second day in a red zone drill. Notably, the Vikings ran what appeared to be the same scheme on the next play, and Murray threw a better pass to the same route for a touchdown.
McCarthy appeared more in command of the offense than he did last spring, even as he occasionally sprayed an inaccurate pass downfield. Both quarterbacks displayed what Jefferson called "growth," but both also left plenty of room for improvement.
Coach Kevin O'Connell plans to continue splitting quarterback reps at the start of training camp. He pledged to be publicly transparent about the process, saying he does not see a competitive advantage in keeping his assessment secret. Both players will participate in preseason games, although there is a possibility that one quarterback will emerge quickly and force a conclusion that "this is the guy," O'Connell said.
Or there could simply be some mild separation that pushes the competition as late as the third full week of training camp, when the Vikings will host joint practices Aug. 19 and 20 with the Baltimore Ravens.
"It's an open competition," O'Connell said, "and I want to see these guys in a very, very unique -- and, in many ways, difficult -- circumstance [to] elevate themselves and their game to help the Minnesota Vikings."
Let's run through some more takeaways from the Vikings' work this offseason, starting with a separate but not insignificant part of the quarterback competition.
Personal connection is clear
It shouldn't be a surprise that McCarthy ended the spring with a more developed connection with his teammates. He is entering his third season with the team, while Murray has been in Minnesota for four months.
But the disparity also supported what's obvious about both of their personalities: McCarthy is a vibrant connector, while Murray has a quieter disposition.
McCarthy, for example, notably organized an outing to a Minnesota Wild playoff game in April. Murray was invited and attended.
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Jefferson referred to Murray as a "real cool guy, chill." He said they "definitely talk on the sidelines" about "different things he's looking for, that I'm looking for."
Running back Aaron Jones Sr. said he had spoken to both quarterbacks about having an "F it" mentality during the competition, to not worry about any opinions other than those from Vikings coaches. Jones also relayed that one of his conversations with McCarthy occurred in March after Jones was on a flight that got stuck in Chicago. He said he called McCarthy, who is from the Chicago suburbs and happened to be in the area that day, and McCarthy drove to the airport to hang out for the night.
Players won't get much of a say in O'Connell's final decision, if any, and their personal feelings are minimally relevant to who is best equipped to run the Vikings' offense. None of the players who spoke with reporters during the five open offseason sessions expressed a favorite. Jefferson went out of his way to say he planned to work with both quarterbacks during his summer break.
But just as a function of time spent together, all of them know and understand McCarthy better than they do Murray. Take that for what it's worth.
The offseason addition of former San Francisco 49ers receiver Jauan Jennings provides the Vikings with extra depth to their WR corps. Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire Enhanced WR depth Last summer, the Vikings were concerned enough about their receiver depth that they traded the equivalent of a fourth-round pick to acquire Adam Thielen. Barring injuries, a repeat scenario appears unlikely.
Jefferson, Jordan Addison and free agent addition Jauan Jennings make up what Jennings called the "Big Three," referencing the Golden State Warriors' trio of Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson. (Jennings playfully identified himself as Durant in that scenario.) Behind them are at least three receivers who are genuine competitors for the No. 4 and No. 5 jobs.
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Jefferson noted that Tai Felton, a third-round pick in 2025, "has definitely been coming on." Myles Price, who spent last season primarily as a punt and kickoff returner, reported leaner and certainly looked quicker on underneath routes. Most notable, however, was the presence of undrafted rookie Dillon Bell.
It can be difficult to judge receivers when NFL offseason rules prohibit the people covering them from exerting any real contact. But there was no denying that Bell spent a lot of time with the second team this spring, a choice by coaches that had him catching passes from Murray and McCarthy at a time when most undrafted rookies would be working with the third or fourth teams.
Jefferson also mentioned the progress of Jeshaun Jones, who has spent the past two seasons on the practice squad. There is a long way to go, of course, but at the end of the spring, it is fair to consider receiver not only the team's most talented position but arguably the deepest as well.
Edge rusher needed
Depth is much less evident on the defensive edge following the draft weekend trade of outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard. The Vikings are set with Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner as starters, but Turner's excused absence for a personal matter on the second day of minicamp revealed the significant gap that exists between the next set of players at that position.
Bo Richter, Chaz Chambliss and Tyler Batty were the next three players up on the depth chart. The Vikings also experimented with defensive lineman Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, a fifth-round pick in 2025 who is 6-foot-5 and 290 pounds, on the edge. But it is a certainty that the Vikings will be on the lookout for veteran help at the position as training camp approaches.
Among the top free agents remaining on the market, according to ESPN's Matt Bowen, are edge players Joey Bosa, Jadeveon Clowney and Haason Reddick. Leonard Floyd is also available.
Brian O'Neill contract extension looms
Longtime right tackle Brian O'Neill is in line for a third contract, following the rookie deal he signed in 2018 and the five-year, $92.5 million extension he received in 2021, which expires after this season.
O'Neill was an observer during OTAs and didn't participate until mandatory minicamp. The Vikings have long anticipated an O'Neill extension but, according to sources, the structure and finances were complicated enough to merit placing talks on hold during the tenure of interim general manager Rob Brzezinski. The hiring of Nolan Teasley to the permanent role is expected to jumpstart talks.
O'Neill, who turns 31 in September, said he has no interest in moving on after the season.
"Five years ago when I went through a similar process I said, 'I want to be here and there's nowhere else I want to be,'" O'Neill said. "That rings more true now than ever. If you've been around me long enough, you know how much this place means to me. There is unequivocally nowhere else I'd rather be."
New Vikings general manager Nolan Teasley speaks at his introductory news conference on June 3. AP Photo/Abbie Parr Teasley gets to work When they fired former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, owners Zygi and Mark Wilf did not believe the team needed to overhaul its football operation. Their search for a replacement was based on finding someone who Mark Wilf said could "fit within" the existing scouting and coaching arrangement.
That sentiment precluded the possibility of a mass firing in the front office, and it meant that the essential structure -- with a general manager and coach who both report to ownership -- would remain intact. The Wilfs, however, did empower Teasley to reshape the top of the personnel department, and Teasley executed that swiftly last week.
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Teasley swapped in two new assistant general managers, hiring former Seattle Seahawks colleague Trent Kirchner for one and Cleveland Browns executive Andrew Healy for the other. Current assistant general manager Ryan Grigson will remain with the team under a different title, while Adofo-Mensah's other top lieutenant -- assistant general manager Demitrius Washington -- asked for and received permission to seek other opportunities. Teasley also parted ways with two longtime employees (senior personnel executive Jamaal Stephenson and assistant director of college scouting Pat Roberts) and one pro scout (Salli Clavelle).
A source said that no more immediate departures were anticipated.
Kirchner is a native of Fulda, Minnesota, but had been with the Seahawks for three seasons when Teasley joined the organization as an intern in 2013. Both are longtime disciples of Seattle general manager John Schneider. Healy was a part of the Browns' extensive analytics department and brings a unique resume. He has undergraduate degrees in math and political science from Yale, a PhD in economics from MIT and is a former professor of economics at Loyola Marymount. Before joining the Browns, Healy wrote and created projection systems for an analytics publication called Football Outsiders. His quarterback model was known as "QBASE."
Quick hits
+ The Vikings waived safety Harrison Smith in March as he contemplated retirement, but it's clear they would welcome him back -- before, during or maybe even after training camp -- if he decides to continue playing. Joking that he was "incredibly hurt," O'Connell said that Smith was in Minnesota at one point this spring but turned down an invitation to play golf.
"It never quite goes away," O'Connell said. "I mean, shoot, I wish I could go play. Nobody wants to see that, but I wish I could go play right now. But I think it's probably a deeper conversation than just the 'want to' at this point. Those conversations will take place, respectfully for Harrison, throughout the summer. Then, as we get into training camp, where he's at. It could be an ongoing thing -- how our season goes and how he views it and ultimately what that looks like. But he's earned the respect of everybody in this building to have that type of dialogue and communication."
+ Left tackle Christian Darrisaw was practicing without the brace on his left leg that he used throughout the 2025 season, as he continued a long recovery from his October 2024 torn left ACL and MCL. But a planned rest day during minicamp was another indication that he and the Vikings are continuing to manage the repercussions of those knee injuries. Darrisaw played only 10 games in 2025 and left five of them early.
+ Linebacker Blake Cashman did not participate in the practices open to reporters, but he did work on an injury rehabilitation field with a brace on his left hand.
+ Three rookie defenders -- linemen Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange, along with safety Jakobe Thomas -- have a chance to earn starting jobs in training camp. That would be a rarity for young players under defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who has typically preferred veterans to execute his multi-layered scheme.
Safety Joshua Metellus offered insightful advice for handling Flores' trademark intensity: "Listen to what he says and not how he says it. Flo loves football more than anybody. He's very particular about how he wants things done. His emotions can get involved. You can start to feel his emotions and not hear what he's telling you. He's just telling you to do your job."
