Vikings quarterbacks show contrasting strengths in second padded practice

Minnesota Vikings held their second practice with pads on Wednesday, marking the seventh day of training camp before a scheduled day off on Thursday. The session featured separate 7-on-7 drills for quarterbacks J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray, followed by full-team drills.

McCarthy opened the day, completing a corner route to Jeshaun Jones and showing increased comfort in leading the offense. He displayed mixed results in team drills, processing some plays well but taking two sacks when pressure was not recognized quickly. In a two-minute drill, McCarthy led the offense to the 32-yard line with four seconds remaining, setting up a field-goal attempt.

Murray entered his 7-on-7 segment by targeting downfield routes, connecting with Jauan Jennings on a 40-yard post for a touchdown and later finding Tai Felton on a 60-yard post during team drills. He completed all three passes in a subsequent two-minute drill, including a 54-yard jump-ball touchdown to Jefferson, and added a scramble for six yards.

Both quarterbacks performed well, with Murray emphasizing vertical passing and McCarthy working on consistency and pressure recognition. The coaching staff noted that continued improvement from McCarthy, particularly in deep-field attacks, could influence the ongoing quarterback competition.

Wide receiver Tai Felton also received attention, repeatedly getting open on deep routes and scoring on a post pattern from Murray, suggesting a growing role in the Vikings' offense.