SPORTS-FBN-TEAM-QUESTIONS:-FILEPIC-10-GET
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray (1) participates in a drill during an OTA workout at Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center on May 27, 2026, in Eagan, Minnesota.
EAGAN, Minnesota — Kyler Murray has officially won the quarterback competition and will move forward as the Vikings' starter. The next step in his development with the franchise is getting live reps with the starters.
That will come when the Vikings travel to play the New York Giants on Saturday at MetLife Stadium in their exhibition opener. The expectation is that Murray will get at least a series before he passes the baton to J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer.
Here are some players to watch in the exhibition opener:
Kyler Murray
There has been a noticeable uptick in production from Murray since being named the starter this week. It’s probably not a coincidence that he started to look much more comfortable as soon as he started to get all of the reps with the starters.
Will that translate to a game?
Though it would be disingenuous to read too much into the exhibition slate, it will be interesting to see how Murray performs in his first opportunity as the unquestioned leader of the offense.
The only issue for Murray is he likely won’t get to throw to Justin Jefferson. The star receiver is on a short list of players who are expected to be kept on ice.
J.J. McCarthy
It’s likely that McCarthy will get a lot of snaps despite the fact that he won’t start. He’s shown a good amount of improvement in practices, and this is a big opportunity for him to carry that over to a game.
The most effective way for McCarthy to continue to grow at this point in his career is for him to get as much experience as possible. For now, that will have to come in the Vikings’ three exhibition games.
The hope is that McCarthy will show he’s able to consistently layer the ball over the middle while also attacking other areas of the field with his arm talent. If he’s able to perform at a high level, he could build some momentum moving forward.
Tai Felton
Not many players on the roster have had a better training camp than Tai Felton, who has taken a gigantic leap forward with his ability to catch the ball with consistency and run routes with precision.
It feels as if there has been a big catch by Felton in almost every practice throughout training camp. He also has proven capable of getting open regardless out from near the boundary or out of the slot. Not bad considering Felton played almost exclusively special teams as a rookie.
He continued to work on his craft behind the scenes and now has a chance to solidify himself as a tertiary option on offense that can be relied upon sooner rather than later.
Caleb Banks
After ramping up his workload in the early stages of training camp, Caleb Banks has been steadily rotating in and out with the starters. That’s a really good sign for the No. 18 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
There were previously questions about Banks because he needed surgery to repair a broken bone in his left foot. That no longer appears to be a concern.
Now, the only unknown surrounding Banks is how his play in practice will translate to a game. He looks the part of a menacing presence in the trenches. It’s up to him to prove that’s what he actually is when the whistle is blown.
Chuck Demmings
The fearlessness of Chuck Demmings has been on display in training camp, whether he’s been lining up across from Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings or anybody in between.
Not only has Demmings taken on the challenge without much of a second thought, but he has slowly been climbing the depth chart thanks in large part to his impactful plays in coverage. There aren’t many players in the secondary that have made as big a splash as Demmings.
____________________________________
This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here.