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Credit: Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit: Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
While Nolan Teasley works to re-shape<\/a> the Minnesota Vikings at multiple levels<\/a>, most of the organization have vacated TCO Performance Center in Eagan until we get closer to the start of training camp on August 1.<\/p>\n In all likelihood, coaches and executives in the Vikings organization have spent the days since minicamp ended to evaluate, not just the mandatory practices they\u2019ve conducted recently, but what they saw over the course of spring workouts, as a whole.<\/p>\n And from the sounds of it, they like what they have seen so far from JJ McCarthy, in at least one major area of weakness to his QB skills \u2014 his ability to layer the football between different levels of a defense.<\/p>\n Fowler: Vikings sources impressed by JJ McCarthy\u2019s new layering ability<\/p>\n The latest such report comes via ESPN insider, Jeremy Fowler<\/a>. While it\u2019s not the first time we have about McCarthy\u2019s improved layering, the former Minnesota Vikings reporter took things a bit further than other have so far.<\/p>\n Fowler\u2019s sources claim that the 2023 No. 10 overall draft pick<\/a> has \u201caddressed [his layering] in a major way and it has shown\u201d this spring.<\/p>\n Taking stock of QB battles \u2014 Falcons, Vikings, Browns \u2014 heading into summer <\/p>\n What we know, impressions, what\u2019s next<\/p>\n With @LauraRutledge<\/a> and @JasonMcCourty<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/CdhIZrK6wf<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) June 19, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n \u201cKeep in mind, with JJ McCarthy, the Vikings asked him to fix some things, including his ability to layer the ball and throw different speeds. I\u2019m told he\u2019s addressed that in a major way and it has shown.\u201d<\/p>\n Jeremy Fowler \u2013 NFL Live (ESPN)<\/p>\n Related: ESPN Urges MN Vikings to Sign Talented EDGE<\/a><\/p>\n Obviously, his inability to throw in a changeup and layer footballs between coverages has been a knock that\u2019s stuck with JJ McCarthy since his days at Michigan. Immediately upon Kyler Murray\u2019s arrival, that was an area that immediately stuck out<\/a> over his QB competition.<\/p>\n If he has, indeed, fixed that part of his game, it would go a long ways toward McCarthy\u2019s future as an NFL quarterback.<\/p>\n JJ McCarthy finds Myles Price with a tight spiral. <\/p>\n \ud83c\udfa5: Vikings Mobile App pic.twitter.com\/6K23jQOGPr<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) June 2, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n As NFL Live host Laura Rutledge<\/a> (and Allen Iverson<\/a>) pointed out, we\u2019re talking about practice. And not even padded practice, for that matter. Can McCarthy prove his layering abilities when pads come on at training camp?<\/p>\n If so, he\u2019ll then have to do the same during joint practices, then preseason games. And that is only one part of his game that needs fixed before he\u2019ll qualify as a legitimate NFL starting QB.<\/p>\n Most still expect Kyler Murray to win MN Vikings QB job<\/p>\n Which is why, even the most optimistic JJ McCarthy stans inside Minnesota Vikings facilities \u2014 like whoever is peddling information to Fowler \u2014 knows what everyone else watching this thing from the outside does.<\/p>\n Unless something drastic changes between now and week one of the 2026 NFL regular season, Kyler Murray is likely to be the team\u2019s QB1. Of course, once games start to matter and guys start taking hits, anything can happen.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Vikings and head coach Kevin O\u2019Connell are going into this battle with an open mind. They have tried their best to simulate this 50\/50. Kyler Murray and JJ McCarthy were going back and forth, fist team, second team, in the spring.<\/p>\n The way the Vikings see it is, \u2018Hey we weren\u2019t in pads, there wasn\u2019t a lot of hitting or contact. Let\u2019s get to camp, see how this goes.\u2019 Whether [KOC] let\u2019s the competition go into preseason games will be based on feel. are going into Most people around the league I\u2019ve spoken to do believe that, at the end of the day, Kyler Murray will win this job.\u201d<\/p>\n Jeremy Fowler \u2013 NFL Live (ESPN \u2013 video above) More About:Minnesota Vikings<\/a><\/p>\n Add MinnesotaSportsFan as a preferred source on Google. \t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMentioned in this article: J.J. McCarthy<\/a> NFL Offseason<\/a> <\/p>\n![\"Add](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/google_preferred_source_badge.png\"){kind=icon}
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