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Former Cardinals Signal Caller Seems To Have Edge In NFC Team's QB Battle

Murray>McCarthy as it stands.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (right) arrives on the field for the Los Angeles Rams game at State Farm Stadium on Dec 7, 2025, in Glendale, Ariz.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (right) arrives on the field for the Los Angeles Rams game at State Farm Stadium on Dec 7, 2025, in Glendale, Ariz. | Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It is abundantly clear that the Arizona Cardinals will have a quarterback competition take place in training camp, with Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew, and Carson Beck all on the team’s roster.

But we can’t forget who was previously under center, that being Kyler Murray, who is enduring a quarterback battle of his own with his new team.

The Cardinals made the difficult decision to cut Murray after seven seasons with the team, eating the dead money and allowing the 28-year-old to find his next opportunity elsewhere. That ended up being with the Minnesota Vikings, and similar to Arizona, they have their own quarterback competition taking place in camp this July. It will be between Murray and the former No. 10 overall draft pick from 2024, J.J. McCarthy, who has struggled to put it all together in his two years of action after coming back from a torn meniscus.

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As we move past OTAs, it seems as if Minnesota is favoring Murray over McCarthy, putting him in line to be the team’s opening-week starter.

Obviously, we still have a while to go before any official decision is made, but all signs point to Murray being the more talented of the two.

In a division as competitive as the NFC North, one that features Caleb Williams, Jared Goff, and Jordan Love, you need elite quarterback play to stay afloat.

As it stands, it seems as if Murray has the edge, given the fact that he is a dual-threat quarterback. But it will be interesting to see if McCarthy can make a name for himself in training camp, possibly giving Murray some competition.

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