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KOC: Kyler showed ‘enough’ to be starter

Kyler Murray

Kyler Murray

MIN Quarterback #1

Player Stats

Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said Kyler Murray had “shown enough” to be named the team’s Week 1 starter.

It’s not quite a ringing endorsement for Murray, acquired from the Cardinals this offseason. Murray had a brief competition with incumbent starter JJ McCarthy that included inconsistent play from both signal callers. On Tuesday the Vikings said the competition was over, and that Murray had won. “In my opinion,” O’Connell said, "[Kyler] has got the skill set and the abilities not only just from the standpoint of accuracy and his ability to affect the game with his athleticism, but he’s also proven to be smart, very hardworking, and be able to take in a lot of information and churn that out. Now we really want to give him the opportunity to really start building a comfort level not only with the system but with the guys.” Reportedly fired up about proving himself after flaming out with the Cardinals, Murray should be an upgrade for Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson in 2026. Murray has worked closely with Addison throughout the offseason.

Source: ESPN.com

More Kyler Murray News

Ravens, Bengals expected to make noise this season

Andrew Perloff and Paul Pabst preview the AFC North with the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals expected to make noise with the Pittsburgh Steelers stuck in limbo and the Cleveland Browns rebuilding the roster.

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Justin Jefferson

MIN Wide Receiver #18

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ESPN’s Kevin Seifert reports that the timing between Vikings QB Kyler Murray and WR Justin Jefferson “remains under development.”

Jefferson told Seifert what many of us were concerned about this spring and summer — that having the Murray and QB J.J. McCarthy split first-team reps “was an added challenge.” At the Vikings’ joint practice against the Ravens on Wednesday, Jefferson beat a double team for a touchdown, “but had roughly a half dozen passes broken up as he tried to muscle for position.” Jefferson should still be treated as a WR1, but as he told Seifert, “work needs to be done.”
Kyler Murray

MIN Quarterback #1

Vikings named Kyler Murray the team’s Week 1 starter.

Though the Vikings staged what appeared to be a (short-lived) quarterback competition between Murray and JJ McCarthy, the result was likely determined from the outset. Murray and McCarthy split first-team reps for much of the offseason and into training camp, with both QBs struggling at times. There was no way the Vikings were going to pay the steep price of acquiring Murray from the Cardinals only to sit him behind McCarthy. Murray as starter is probably good news for Justin Jefferson, who last season had one of the NFL’s lowest catchable target rates. Murray should be fine as a floor-based fantasy play in Kevin O’Connell’s offense. McCarthy should still be rostered in superflex formats behind the oft-injured Murray.
Kyler Murray

MIN Quarterback #1

ESPN’s Kevin Seifert says there have been “plenty of indications that Kyler Murray remains the heavy favorite” to win the Vikings’ starting QB job.

According to Seifert, the Vikings have given Murray “roughly two-thirds of the snaps with the first-team offense in 11-on-11 drills,” while J.J. McCarthy “has spent a significant portion of his summer working with the No. 2 offense.” While reports have been up and down on Murray thus far, Seifert also suggests the gap between Murray and McCarthy remains wide after the first two weeks of camp, saying that “no objective observer to training camp could say that (McCarthy) has made up the ground necessary to truly challenge Murray” this summer. There are still two weeks left to go in camp, but it sounds like McCarthy will need a lot to go right for him to get the nod for Week 1 against the Packers.
Kyler Murray

MIN Quarterback #1

The Athletic’s Alec Lewis reports that QB Kyler Murray “took a hefty amount of snaps with the starters” on Thursday.

Per Lewis, Murray connected on a notable deep pass at one point, and ESPN’s Kevin Seifert also noted that Murray is pushing the ball downfield. Fellow Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy “spent more time with the No. 2 group” and attempted fewer downfield passes. If this is an indicator that Murray is pulling away, that’s a good thing. The sooner one quarterback begins taking all first-team reps the better.
Kyler Murray

MIN Quarterback #1

The Athletic’s Alec Lewis writes that Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell said “he doesn’t plan to take the [QB] competition until the end of camp.”

While Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy are both expected to enter training camp in competition for the team’s QB1 role, it sounds like O’Connell would prefer to land on a decision sooner rather than later. Murray, by all accounts, appears to be the leader in the clubhouse to open the season as the starter, but McCarthy has received praise from teammates and coaches for his improvement as a passer and his ability to throw with a little more accuracy and touch. Currently going around the late ninth/early tenth round of best ball drafts, Murray could turn out to be a nice value if he wins the job and can return to the player who finished as a top-10 fantasy QB in fantasy points per game from 2020 to 2022 under KOC.
J.J. McCarthy

MIN Quarterback #9

Sports Illustrated’s Will Ragatz said Kyler Murray’s impressive throws in OTAs “make it hard to imagine” J.J. McCarthy winning the Vikings’ QB competition.

On one hand, it’s “just” OTAs. On the other hand, this is the second reporter to suggest there’s a noticeable difference between what Murray and McCarthy offer at the position. We’re less than a full week removed from ESPN’s Kevin Seifert saying the gap between the two QBs is “not close,” and now, Ragatz is all but suggesting the same in his most recent article. While there have been reports of McCarthy making strides as a passer this offseason, the bar has been set so low after 2025’s debacle, that any marginal improvements could garner praise for JJMC at this point. We’ll get a better sense of where things really stand between Murray and McCarthy when the pads come on in training camp, but Murray continues to sound like the clearcut QB1 to start the season, despite the Vikings’ best efforts to suggest the winner of this camp battle hasn’t already been determined.
Kyler Murray

MIN Quarterback #1

ESPN’s Kevin Seifert writes that the gap between Vikings QB Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy “was not close.”

It was only the Vikings’ second OTA of the spring and first that was open to the media. Still, while the Vikings gave both quarterbacks an equal opportunity, it doesn’t sound like a real competition, according to Seifert. “Murray made all of the best throws of the practice, demonstrating his downfield touch and accuracy,” he wrote. It was a reminder that McCarthy could continue making incremental improvements and still fall short of being able to match Murray, according to Seifert. A former Pro Bowler who led the Cardinals to the playoffs in 2021, Murray is being drafted outside the top-12 quarterbacks as he looks to bounce back in his first season with the Vikings.
Kyler Murray

MIN Quarterback #1

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Vikings QB Kyler Murray “has taken to the offense very quickly” and has absorbed the playbook “in a hurry.”

Sources tell Fowler that Murray is handling himself “like an alpha quarterback,” possessing “the experience and the swagger of a guy who has been to Pro Bowls and had success.” Recent interview clips involving Murray and fellow Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy reinforce Fowler’s sentiments, with Murray conducting himself with calm confidence. The coaching staff also complimented McCarthy’s development, but Murray seems to be winning the competition right now.
Kyler Murray

MIN Quarterback #1

ESPN’s Adam Schefter said most NFL observers believe Kyler Murray will start for the Vikings in 2026.

Schefter said on air Thursday night that Murray should be consider the odds-on favorite to start for Minnesota in Week 1 after signing a one-year deal worth more than $36 million. J.J. McCarthy, however, will get a shot to compete for the starting gig after his disastrous, injury-marred 2025 campaign. McCarthy, 23, entering his third NFL season, would have to stay healthy this summer to have a shot at taking the team’s QB1 spot, and he would need to improve in every facet of the game, including accuracy. Dillon Gabriel was the only quarterback with a lower completion rate over expected in 2025.
Kyler Murray

MIN Quarterback #1

Vikings will face the 49ers in Mexico City on November 22.

The Kyler Murray experiment should be well underway by late November as Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings look to recover from their failed dalliance with J.J. McCarthy as the team’s starting quarterback. Murray will lead a quietly loaded Minnesota offense against Kyle Shanahan’s EPA-maximizing Niners offense. The last time Brock Purdy faced the Vikings defense he threw for 319 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in a Week 2 2024 loss. Purdy took a season-high six sacks in that game.

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Parker Washington

JAC Wide Receiver #11
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Jaguars general manager James Gladstone said the team would be open to negotiating an extension with WR Parker Washington in-season.

Washington, 24, is entering a contract year, coming off the best season of his career. He is reportedly expected to be the team’s No. 1 wide receiver. If Washington plays up to that standard, he will unquestionably be able to raise his asking price. Signing him to a deal right now could save the team money in the long term, but the front office evidently wants to see how he fares early in the year. Although this route could be costly, having a true No. 1 wide receiver affirm his financial value with top-tier play is a good problem to have.
- Nic Bodiford

Source: Sports Illustrated

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Taylor Rapp

FA Safety #33
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Free agent S Taylor Rapp worked out for the Broncos on Friday.

The Broncos released him last week. A reunion is clearly possible. At 28 years old, he is likely best suited to a backup role while contributing on special teams.
- Nic Bodiford

Source: Parker J. Gabriel

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Trevor Lawrence

JAC Quarterback #16
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Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence said he is more confident in his “progressions, adjustments, when to kill a play and what to call instead.”

According to ESPN’s Michael DiRocco, Lawrence’s offseason “was about gaining a graduate-level understanding” of coach Liam Coen’s offense. Last season, Lawrence was rehabbing an injury while attempting to change his footwork and adjust to a new play caller. He is now calmer and “can play more freely the way he did in the second half of last season.” Lawrence was the overall QB1 in total scoring from Weeks 9-18. If Lawrence and his pass catchers can carry the momentum into 2026, Lawrence can once again finish as an elite QB1, this time from Week 1 onward.
- Nic Bodiford

Source: ESPN

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Khalid Kareem

SF Outside Linebacker
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49ers signed OLB Khalid Kareem, formerly of the Falcons.

Kareem spent the last two seasons as a Falcons backup, totaling eight tackles and nine quarterback pressures. He will now fly to Australia ahead of the 49ers’ Week 1 game against the Rams.
- Nic Bodiford

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Source: Greg Auman
Atlanta Falcons
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Makai Lemon

PHI Wide Receiver #9
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ESPN’s Tim McManus believes “expectations should be tempered early” for Eagles WR Makai Lemon.

It’s a reasonable assessment for a rookie who missed valuable spring and summer practice reps due to a recurring hamstring strain. Lemon reportedly admitted that he should have been “more professional off the field” regarding the injury, and Eagles WR coach Aaron Moorehead eventually told him to do “whatever” WR DeVonta Smith did during his own hamstring rehab program. Per McManus, “coaches say Lemon attacked the mental part of the game with high intensity as he waited to get healthy.” McManus believes Lemon should get playing time right away, but Smith and WR Dontayvion Wicks will “receive the bulk of targets while the rookie gets his footing.” Lemon must be safely stashed on benches at this time.
- Nic Bodiford

Source: ESPN

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Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles

FA Linebacker #50
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Bills released LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles.

Flannigan-Fowles, 30, could end up contributing to a special teams unit elsewhere in the NFL.
- Nic Bodiford

Transaction

Source: Aaron Wilson
Buffalo Bills
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Jalen Hurts

PHI Quarterback #1
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ESPN’s Tim McManus reports that Eagles QB Jalen Hurts has bought into new OC Sean Mannion’s scheme “and is fighting hard through the learning curve.”

McManus adds that “the feedback internally has been positive” regarding Hurts’ development. Mannion’s West Coast-style system is a “heavy under-center operation” that will increase the team’s play-action rate, decrease its shotgun usage and require the quarterback and his pass catchers to be on time throughout the play. Hurts has thrown more interceptions than beat reporters are “accustomed to seeing” in training camp, but McManus believes “some” of them can be chalked up to the learning curve that comes with a new system, particularly one featuring passes thrown over the middle. McManus adds that the offensive line depth’s emergence has been the biggest under-the-radar development this season, boding positively for Hurts’ performance in both the short- and long-term.
- Nic Bodiford

Source: ESPN

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Shaq Mason

FA Guard
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NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports that free agent OG Shaq Mason “will not be disciplined by the NFL and the investigation into his legal matters from 2025 has been closed.”

Per Garafolo, Mason is free to sign with and play for a team immediately. “All charges against Mason from an August 2025 arrest were dropped in April.” The arrest occurred five months after Mason had been released by the Texans in March 2025, and he remained unsigned throughout the 2025 season.
- Nic Bodiford

Source: Mike Garafolo

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Thomas Odukoya

NE Tight End #88
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Free agent TE Thomas Odukoya worked out for the Chiefs on Friday.

Odukoya is an international player from the Netherlands. He was most recently on the Patriots roster and spent 2024 with the Titans, playing just one regular season snap. If the Chiefs sign him, expect him to join the practice squad.
- Nic Bodiford

Source: Aaron Wilson
Kansas City Chiefs
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Aaron Donald

LA Defensive Tackle #99
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Rams coach Sean McVay said every player on the roster will travel to Australia for Week 1 against the 49ers.

Regarding recently unretired DT Aaron Donald’s potential participation, McVay said that “if he feels good enough to go, great. If not, I’ve got a lot of confidence in the other guys.” The Rams have a two-game roster exemption for Donald, so they can take their time with him if they would like to. Regardless, the fact that he is traveling with the team suggests he has a real chance to play next week.
- Nic Bodiford

Source: Sarah Barshop

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