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NFL·August 7, 2026 11:44 PM ET

McCarthy sharper than Murray in Vikings' full-pads practice

Thorson goes 3-for-3 holding for Reichard, presses Hekker for the job

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated Aug 81 min read
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Minnesota VikingsNFL

What happened: J.J. McCarthy outperformed Kyler Murray in a full-pads Vikings training camp practice Friday, connecting on sharp intermediate throws while Murray had a deep touchdown to Tai Felton and an interception both wiped out by dead-ball whistles. Murray still took the bulk of first-team reps, continuing a trend from recent practices. A Murray deep shot to Justin Jefferson against Byron Murphy Jr. was broken up and then negated by offensive pass interference on Jefferson.

Why it matters: The quarterback competition remains Murray's to lose given his continued first-team reps, but McCarthy operating near the top of his camp range keeps the battle unsettled. At punter, Brett Thorson made a case to unseat Johnny Hekker by handling holding duties for the first time in his career.

By the numbers: Thorson held on three Will Reichard field-goal attempts and Reichard made all three.

What to watch: Vikings coaches continue evaluating the McCarthy-Murray competition and the Thorson-Hekker punter battle as camp progresses.

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