2 Vikings first-stringers in danger of losing starting jobs ahead of 2026 NFL season

The Minnesota Vikings are a fairly steady ship as they prepare to navigate the waters of the 2026 season in the brutal NFC North division. The team that many observers anticipate seeing at the start of the season in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers is fairly easy to anticipate.

The offensive line should be easy to predict unless injuries take hold, and that is always a possibility during the heat of training camp. Left tackle Christian Darrisaw and right tackle Brian O’Neill are that unit’s strongest players, but both have had injury troubles in the past.

The wide receiver position should be their strongest spot. Justin Jefferson wants to reclaim his title as the league’s best wide receiver and Jordan Addison could emerge as the best No. 2 receiver in the NFL, although Jameson Williams of the Detroit Lions could offer an argument. Former 49er Juaun Jennings has the experience to give the Vikings plenty of skill as the No. 3 receiver.

The obvious battle is at the QB1 position, and this has been known since the Vikings acquired Kyler Murray from the Arizona Cardinals early in the offseason. He is in a battle with holdover J.J. McCarthy as the leader of head coach Kevin O’Connell’s offense.

Is the battle at QB on, or does the position belong to Murray?

It has been widely anticipated that Murray will be the starting quarterback this season based on the success he had with the Cardinals when he was healthy with that team, but McCarthy is a talented leader who has the confidence to make it a real battle for at least a few more weeks this summer.

There is a real advantage to the Vikings naming their starting quarterback as soon as possible. The longer the competition goes on, the more likely it is that there will be a fissure in the locker room. Some players will support Murray and others may throw their weight behind McCarthy.

The Vikings have been a very family-oriented team throughout the first four years of the O’Connell administration. That may not be the case in Year 5 if the Murray and O’Connell battle throughout August without a winner being declared.

Jefferson does not believe that the fight for starting quarterback position will be anything but positive for the team.

“It’s a competition,” Jefferson said, per Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com. “It’s all on who comes to practice and who’s the better guy. At this point, it’s still early in training camp for any of us to understand or know who’s the No. 1 guy. So it’s just all about pouring into both of them and making sure that whoever’s the guy at the end of the day, we’re not starting over or starting fresh.”

A healthy Murray should have an advantage

That perception represents a very mature perspective, but that won’t prevent a divided locker room at some point or another.

Murray has dealt with injuries in two of the past three seasons, but he is healthy this year. He completed 372 of 541 passes for a 68.8 completion percentage while throwing for 3,851 yards in the 2024 season. Murray also tossed 21 TDs and 11 interceptions that season. He also ran for 572 yards and 5 TDs in ’24, and that could ultimately give him the edge in the QB battle.

McCarthy is also a good athlete with high-level running skills, but he may not be able to get away from tacklers and pick up yards when he leaves the pocket at the same level as Murray.

Running back battle is an inevitability in the NFL

The Vikings could also see a true battle at the starting running back position where Aaron Jones is the starter and Jordan Mason is the talented backup. The 31-year-old Jones is headed for his ninth season in the NFL — third with the Vikings — and may not be at his peak. The 27-year-old Mason has backed up Christian McCaffrey with the Niners and does the same with Jones. He could be ready to step up in 2026.

Mason was the team’s leading rusher last year as he played in 16 games last year while injuries limited Jones to 12 games. Mason ran for 758 yards and averaged 4.8 yards per carry with 6 TDs last year, while Jones had 548 rushing yards and averaged 4.2 yards per carry.

It seems quite clear that the Vikings need more from their running game this year and need Mason or Jones to rush for 1,000 yards or more. It would not be a shock if Mason wins the job and becomes the No. 1 running back. Mason appears to be in his prime, while Jones may no longer be the breakaway threat he was during his best years with the Packers.

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