Former Vikings coach Brad Childress spent some time breaking down the team’s quarterback situation, and his read on J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray lands on a familiar football truth: the position is still everything.
Childress said McCarthy has at times looked overwhelmed in 2025, using the word “frenetic” to describe what he’s seen. Murray, meanwhile, brings the kind of arm strength and play-extending ability that can change the shape of an offense. But for both quarterbacks, Childress said the real test is whether they can trust what they’re seeing and throw before the picture is fully clear.
“I think the biggest question for both of those guys will be, ‘Can you stand in the pocket and look at it, and, are you able to be an anticipatory thrower?’” Childress said.
“You can’t wait till you see the whites of a guy’s eyes. A lot of times you’ve got to anticipate and stick it in a spot over a linebacker in front of a defensive back and let him run into that throw.”
That evaluation is one reason Childress said he plans to get to Vikings training camp when it opens in a couple weeks. He wants to watch the quarterbacks in person.
He also pointed to a detail from his time as an assistant in Kansas City, where coaches were required to hand out a letter grade to every player in their position group each day. If Minnesota uses anything like that, Childress said, it would make clear just how much is riding on Murray and McCarthy.
The bigger team question, though, is whether the Vikings are close enough to contend if the quarterback play isn’t there. I asked Childress whether he sees the 2026 Vikings the way he saw the 2009 team - as a quarterback away from being great. His answer was blunt.
“I don’t think they can be a good team if they don’t have a quarterback that they rely on,” he said.
There’s also the broader fit question around Murray and Kevin O’Connell’s offense, a topic ESPN’s Ben Solak recently examined.
Elsewhere, Kayla McBride has taken over as the Lynx’s scoring leader over the last five games, after doing it only once in their first 19. She poured in 37 points in Minnesota’s 104-100 win over Phoenix on Monday.
On the baseball side, Bobby Nightengale’s profile of Georgia Tech catcher Vahn Lackey, whom the Twins took No. 3 overall in Saturday’s MLB draft, is worth a read. Twins fans, at least on paper, should have no trouble getting behind him.
And there’s more watch-list action coming Tuesday morning: LaMelo Ball is set to be introduced to Wolves media and fans.
The LeBron James situation is still hanging out there, too, with recent reports suggesting he’s getting close to a decision. The Wolves remain in the mix, even if they’re a long shot. Chris Hine and I will dig into LeBron and LaMelo more on Wednesday’s podcast.
In Other News...
New Alarm Raised About Kyler Murray In Vikings QB Battle
Kyler Murrays push to win the Vikings starting quarterback job has already stirred up an intriguing fit question for Minnesota. Analyst Ben Solak pointed out that Murrays game may not line up cleanly with Kevin OConnells offense, which has long leaned on quarterbacks who can work the middle of the field, even as OConnell has shown a willingness to adjust his system over time.
For Minnesota, that leaves the battle with J.J. McCarthy with more than just a depth-chart question attached to it. Murrays talent gives the Vikings a ceiling worth paying attention to, but the real answer on how well this partnership could work may not come until the preseason starts, when the offense gets its first live test and the Giants game on Aug. 15 begins to offer some clues. [Read more 🡒]
Three Vikings Already Look Like Cutdown Week Casualties
With roster cuts looming at the end of August, the Vikings are moving toward the hard part of camp: trimming from 90 players to 53. A few names have already started to look vulnerable, and the pressure is especially on players trying to win jobs at crowded spots where every practice rep matters and every missed chance gets noticed.
Max Brosmer, Taki Taimani and Dwight McGlothern all appear to be fighting uphill battles as the roster takes shape. Brosmer is trying to hang on in a quarterback room that leaves little room for error, while Taimanis path is complicated by both health questions and the teams recent additions up front. McGlothern has had trouble carving out meaningful defensive snaps, and with more bodies now ahead of him on the depth chart, his margin for making the final group looks thinner by the day. [Read more 🡒]
Stefon Diggs Is Stirring Up Vikings Memories All Over Again
Stefon Diggs is back in the center of the leagues rumor mill, and for Vikings fans, that alone is enough to stir up old memories. The free-agent wide receiver has drawn interest from at least five NFL teams, and he has even talked about the possibility of joining the Washington Commanders, though he still has not signed with anyone with training camps set to open in two weeks.
For Minnesota, Diggs will always be tied to a familiar arc: the fifth-round pick who became a major part of the offense, landed a new deal, and eventually was shipped to Buffalo in a trade that reshaped the franchises future. Since then, his path has taken him through Houston and New England, and with another move still hanging in the air, the next chapter is once again the one everyone is waiting to see. [Read more 🡒]