Vikings HC hints at health being a major key to their QB's success

The Minnesota Vikings‘ quarterback competition has been the dominating storyline since the team signed Kyler Murray in March. Kevin O’Connell has maintained that the team is holding an “open competition” between Murray and 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy.

But O’Connell, who joined the Dan Patrick Show last week, believes that a certain degree of quarterback health could be as important to the team’s success as who emerges as the starter heading into Week 1

“The two years we had our starter play the whole season, we won 13 and 14 games,” O’Connell said. “We want to try to get back to the standard of having the quarterback position be a driving force behind us winning.”

“The two years we had our starter play the whole season, we won 13 and 14 games. We want to try to get back to the standard of having the quarterback position be a driving force behind us winning.”

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– Kevin O’Connell (@KevOC7) on the #Vikings‘ QB competition. pic.twitter.com/XJKmlHvzHA

— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) July 9, 2026

Although McCarthy largely underperformed in 2025, he did improve in December and January. Unfortunately, injuries forced him to miss the second halves of the Week 16 game against the Giants and the Week 18 game against the Packers. McCarthy missed the Christmas Day game against the Lions in Week 17 as well.

Had he stayed healthy throughout the season, perhaps McCarthy would have maintained a more consistent trajectory, helping him develop into a reliable quarterback later in the year. But his injury, as well as Carson Wentz being lost for the season in October, helped torpedo the team’s playoff chances before December even rolled around.

Murray has had his own injury issues throughout the seasons, playing a full season only once over the past four years. If he can win the job and stay healthy, maybe he can return to his Pro Bowl form from 2021.

But even if he never reaches his early career heights, Murray could help the Vikings return to the playoffs just by being available and healthy. Stability and availability are almost just as vital to winning games as providing highlights. O’Connell believes Minnesota could use that, at the very least, to get back on track in 2026.

This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Vikings HC hints at health being a major key to their QB’s success