The Vikings’ first preseason game did a lot to cut through the noise around their quarterback situation.
For weeks, there had been talk that the competition was already decided, with Kevin O’Connell supposedly having his starter in mind before the reps even started. But Saturday’s game against the New York Giants showed that the battle wasn’t just for show.
Kyler Murray was sharper than J.J. McCarthy, and Carson Wentz offered the kind of steady backup play Minnesota can actually use.
Murray got the first crack and looked comfortable on his opening series against the Giants’ top available defenders. He finished 2 for 3 for 10 yards, and the Vikings leaned on the run to move the ball, with eight carries for 44 yards on a 10-play, 54-yard drive.
Murray still made one key throw, finding Jordan Addison on third-and-seven for a first down. But he also later missed Aaron Jones on third-and-five, and that stalled the possession.
His day didn’t exactly settle anything. Between Saturday and issues in night practice, Murray still hasn’t given anyone a clear reason to feel locked in about Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers. Even so, he was the better quarterback on this night.
McCarthy’s outing was rougher. His three drives all ended with punts, and while he wasn’t working with the first-team offense, rookie tackle Caleb Tiernan also committed two penalties that put the offense behind the sticks. McCarthy himself finished 4 for 7 for 34 yards, threw high to Jeshaun Jones to end the first drive, and had to keep a jet sweep because of a timing problem.
That wasn’t the kind of performance that quiets the doubts around him. Instead, it raised another question: whether Minnesota should think about using McCarthy in a developmental QB3 role or even consider trading him. The flashes haven’t matched the situation yet.
Wentz, meanwhile, came in after halftime and gave the Vikings their lone touchdown. He went 9 for 14 for 81 yards and kept the offense moving the way he did last year.
There were still some operational hiccups, which could be tied to playing with unfamiliar players, and there’s always the concern that he’ll force throws into traffic or put himself at risk. But he looks like a backup who can hold the offense together if needed.
That’s where the real shape of this quarterback room starts to come into focus. If Minnesota wants to get the most out of the roster, Wentz makes sense as the QB2 while McCarthy either gets a year focused on development or gets moved for a project passer like Anthony Richardson. The Vikings also have a good reason to keep three quarterbacks, given the injury histories of Murray, McCarthy, and Wentz.
The bigger point from Saturday is simple: the quarterback competition wasn’t fake. McCarthy may have looked better than Murray in the night practice that drew 6,000 people, and the Vikings may still decide Murray isn’t their long-term answer. But on the field against the Giants, Murray looked like the better quarterback.
In Other News...
J.J. McCarthy Just Became A Bigger Vikings Question Than Expected
J.J. McCarthy entered his rookie season with the Vikings expected to be the long-term answer, but his first year only deepened the uncertainty around his timeline. Injuries interrupted his progress, his performance came with uneven reviews, and the organization was left to sort through a quarterback situation that never felt as settled as the outside expectation suggested.
Even with the questions, there is still a belief in some NFL circles that McCarthy can develop into a starter if the growth comes soon enough. His name has also come up elsewhere as teams have evaluated him as a potential backup option, a reminder that his value around the league may not match the way the Vikings hoped to view him at this stage. The broader issue now is whether Minnesota is still looking at a future starter or recalibrating what his role might need to be. [Read more 🡒]
Jamal Adams Exit Leaves Vikings Facing A Tough Defensive Question
Jamal Adams preseason debut at MetLife Stadium quickly turned into a worrying scene for Minnesota, as the veteran safety went down with a non-contact injury and had to be carted off the field. It was the sort of moment that can change a teams defensive outlook in a hurry, especially for a player the Vikings were counting on to bring experience and edge to the secondary.
Head coach Kevin OConnell did little to calm those concerns afterward, signaling the Vikings will be without Adams for what could be an extended stretch even though there is still no official diagnosis. Adams injury history already made his status worth monitoring, and now Minnesota has an immediate depth chart issue to sort through before the preseason moves any further. [Read more 🡒]
Jaxson Dart Took A Brutal Hit And Vikings Fans Noticed Fast
Jaxson Dart drew immediate attention in the Giants preseason opener against the Vikings when he headed to the medical tent after taking a hard hit. For Minnesota fans watching a game that was supposed to be about settling in for August football, the moment carried some extra intrigue because Darts health has already been a point of discussion since his rookie season, when multiple visits to the medical tent prompted closer scrutiny of how those situations were handled.
The hit did not end his night, and the larger concern around Dart is less about one preseason snap than the pattern that has followed him into 2026. Even in an exhibition setting, every trip to the sideline raises the same questions about durability and concussion evaluation, and that kind of attention will follow him as long as he keeps getting knocked around. [Read more 🡒]