The Minnesota Vikings signed Kyler Murray this offseason, and the quarterback competition with JJ McCarthy has technically been open ever since. Based on what head coach Kevin O'Connell is saying, it might not really be a competition anymore.

FanSided's Austen Bundy reported that from a "footballing point," Murray has already won the starting quarterback role over McCarthy. O'Connell is just not saying it out loud yet.

"The goal going into this offseason was to elevate the quarterback position because when we have a certain standard of play that we feel like we have multiple guys in that room that we feel are capable of reaching that standard, the Minnesota Vikings win football games," O'Connell said on The Dan Patrick Show.

That is a carefully worded answer from a coach who clearly does not want to hand the job to Murray publicly before training camp is done. O'Connell is keeping options open on purpose.

"Kyler has come in and done a great job," O'Connell said on The Dan Patrick Show. "J.J., I think, has benefited from the competition. He's had a really good spring."

O'Connell might be trying to keep the final decision under wraps, but the rest of the NFL already knows the answer: the starting job will not go to the former Michigan quarterback.

"Most people around the league I've spoken to do believe at the end of the day Kyler Murray will win this job," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said on SportsCenter, per On3.

Murray has a history of missing roughly 25 percent of his games due to injury. The last thing Minnesota wants is to name Murray the starter officially, only to watch him get hurt in the preseason, forcing McCarthy into the lineup prematurely.

O'Connell has not given a specific timeline for his decision, preferring to wait until players are in full pads during training camp before making the announcement.

The loser of this veteran-rookie competition faces a radical roster shift

This isn't a situation where the runner-up slides comfortably into a backup role. The loser of this battle is likely gone, per AtoZ Sports.

Carson Wentz is the projected QB2 regardless of who wins. If Murray doesn't get the job, he'll almost certainly push for a trade. If McCarthy doesn't get it, Minnesota has no reason to keep a former starting quarterback collecting a salary as a third-stringer.

Justin Jefferson has already publicly challenged every quarterback in the room to step up this summer. The stakes in that building couldn't be higher.

Do you think Kyler Murray will officially be named the Vikings' starter before the season kicks off? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Farheen Fathima

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore