The Minnesota Vikings signed Kyler Murray in free agency to compete with 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy ahead of the 2026 NFL season.
Veteran wide receiver Justin Jefferson is among those excited to see how the competition between the two unfolds.
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Jefferson was asked during a May 15 appearance on “Good Morning Football” what he wanted to see from Minnesota’s quarterback battle in the lead-up to the 2026 NFL season.
“Just competition, for real,” Jefferson said. “Just to see, who’s gonna be that last man standing? Who’s gonna be that dog? Who’s gonna be that leader to carry us throughout the season? Because that is definitely a missing piece that we’re looking for and something that is very important to our team, which is the quarterback spot.
“So just seeing that competition, battle – seeing those guys come in every day leading the team and trying to spark, especially the offense, it’s definitely something I’m looking forward to. And just going out there and connecting with any quarterback that’s throwing the ball, that’s the main important thing this training camp.”
Jefferson had trouble consistently connecting with the Vikings’ quarterbacks – a group that was led by McCarthy – in 2025. He totaled a respectable 84 catches for 1,048 yards, but his 61.6 yards per game and two touchdowns were far and away the lowest marks of his career.
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That’s why Jefferson – who thrived working with Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold across the first five seasons of his career – is hoping either McCarthy or Murray can emerge as a franchise quarterback for the team.
“That’s definitely something that is… I want that, for sure,” Jefferson said, referencing a franchise quarterback. “It’s definitely difficult for those types of things to happen. But just like me being with Kirk for those first four years of my career, just building on that connection, building on that relationship, that’s something that is unbroken, that’s something you just don’t find just anywhere.
“It definitely will be great to have a quarterback, the same quarterback for these next couple years going down the line, but you already know that’s something difficult to do in this league. But for sure, to keep knowing that quarterback for these next couple years and build that relationship and create that spark, that’s definitely the plan.”
Murray only signed with the Vikings to a one-year, veteran minimum contract. If he emerges as the top option for Minnesota, the team will likely need to sign him to a lucrative, long-term extension.
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Meanwhile, McCarthy is in the third season of his four-year rookie contract, so he will be cost-controlled through the 2027 campaign. The Vikings will also have to decide whether to accept the Michigan product’s fifth-year option after the 2026 season.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why Justin Jefferson is excited about Vikings QB competition
