Kyler Murray took a hefty amount of snaps with the starters on the first day of Minnesota Vikings training camp, while J.J. McCarthy spent more time with the No. 2 group.
Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell is likely to decide the quarterback competition based on which player grows into being able to run the full offense. This means getting the plays called on time, getting to the right play at the line of scrimmage, and being able to aggressively take what the defense gives him.
The competition is expected to be decided by which quarterback progresses the most with their to-do list, rather than who did the best from beginning to end. This means that the coaching staff will be looking at the rate of progress for each quarterback over the next week to ten days.
McCarthy seems to be playing it safe with shorter, more high-percentage passing, while Murray is getting familiarized with the offense and receivers and making mistakes along the way. Whether McCarthy is missing open receivers further down the field or not has not been reported.
Murray had back-to-back near interceptions in a full-field 11-on-11 period near the end of practice, one targeting Justin Jefferson and the other targeting Tai Felton. There were again drops by receivers, and Blake Cashman batted down a pass at the line of scrimmage.
In a short competition, the more experienced Murray, who should be able to slowly become more versed in the scheme and in tune with receivers, may have an advantage. However, McCarthy may be able to get there over the next year by getting out of his comfort zone and challenging himself.
The quarterback competition may be decided not by who did the best from beginning to end, but by who progressed/improved the most with their to-do list. This means that the coaching staff will be looking at the rate of progress for each quarterback over the next week to ten days.
The Vikings' training camp is still in its early stages, and it remains to be seen how the quarterback competition will play out. With the team looking to make a deep playoff run this season, the decision on who will start at quarterback will be crucial.
Source: Yahoo Sports