Tom Pelissero Doubles Down on Vikings QB Battle

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Minnesota Vikings and NFL insider Tom Pelissero: Super Bowl LX-Radio Row
Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While there may be a ton of other things that need figured out this summer for the upcoming 2026 Minnesota Vikings season, there hasn’t been much room for anything other than the battle raging on at quarterback between Kyler Murray and JJ McCarthy.

Up until Tuesday, when the Vikings took their first 7v7 reps of their three-day minicamp practices at TCO Performance Center, all signs pointed to Murray being head-and-shoulders above where McCarthy is, both on and off the field.

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Then, Kyler opened 7v7 drills yesterday with two-straight interceptions, sending the internet into shambles. Afterwards, the 28-year-old spoke about how difficult it is trying to learn an offense as complicated as Kevin O’Connell’s while splitting first team reps evenly with McCarthy.

It’s the above back-and-forth with reporters that have much of the NFL world asking today if it’s time to end the QB competition in Minnesota.

If indeed the Vikings’ QB competition has been as lopsided as reported, then why are we taking practice reps away from our new starting quarterback, who clearly needs every rep in this offense that he can get.

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Obviously, there’s an elephant in the room qualifier that needs addressed before we can answer that question. Is Kyler Murray that far ahead of JJ McCarthy?

Or, are the reports we’ve heard so far based more so on assumptions, that insider knowledge? Until we see one of the two quarterbacks getting more reps than the other, we can’t officially know the answer to that question.

Tom Pelissero doubles down on Vikings’ QB competition

However, it’s worth going back to a report from last week from Tom Pelissero (NFL Network). In an interview with KFAN Radio, Pelissero said that the MN Vikings QB competition could be decided by the end of minicamp (which is Thursday).

Yesterday’s news out of Eagan, that reps are still being split 50/50, had potential to pour some cold water on Tom’s reporting. Instead, the top NFL insider and Edina, MN native is at practice Wednesday where — in an interview posted by the team on YouTube — is doubling down.

According to Pelissero, he still expects that Minnesota Vikings “to have a pretty good idea” of who will be their quarterback by the end of practice tomorrow.

One thing I don’t anticipate is that it’s going to take the full preseason to sort out. I think they’ll walk off the field at the end of this week with a pretty good idea.

Nolan [Teasley], there’s always decisions the GM is involved with, but he made clear in his press conference there the most important people in the building are the head coach and the quarterback. He’s gonna lean on Kevin O’Connell a lot, in terms of that position.

Tom Pelissero – Minnesota Vikings YouTube

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Tom went on to say, a few minutes later in the interview, that his QB steam isn’t a report as much as it is his opinion. But here’s the thing, Pelissero isn’t the kind of guy who bases his football opinions on mere assumptions and hope.

Nobody is more plugged in than he is, especially when it comes to his hometown Vikings. Remember, Tom’s job at NFL Network is to report news nationally, but he still lives in the Twin Cities.

So what happens with QB reps over the next couple days out in Eagan is certainly worth watching.

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