Who Should I Start? Kyler Murray or Desmond Ridder

Tuesday, July 21, 9:46 AM

The Minnesota Vikings quarterback competition is set to go "right up to the start" of the 2026 regular season, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The Vikings acquired veteran Kyler Murray over the offseason to compete with incumbent signal-caller J.J. McCarthy, who battled both injuries and underperformance in 2025. Murray was limited to just five games in 2025 by a foot injury and has struggled with inconsistency himself in recent seasons. However, he's demonstrated a much higher ceiling than McCarthy to this point in their respective careers and was a productive dual-threat quarterback as recently as 2024, when he threw for 3,851 yards and 21 touchdowns while rushing for 572 yards and five scores. Fantasy managers with an interest in Vikings wide receivers Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and/or Jauan Jennings may be better served if Murray wins the job, as the veteran quarterback likely offers the higher floor. Still, McCarthy is only entering his age-23 season and could be a higher-upside option.