The Minnesota Vikings revamped their quarterback room this offseason after Kirk Cousins departed for the Atlanta Falcons, signing Sam Darnold in free agency and selecting J.J. McCarthy with the tenth overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. Darnold seems likely to open the season as the Vikings starter, but that doesn't mean there isn't a quarterback competition raging on early in training camp.

While Minnesota has a ton of playmakers at their disposal, the big question mark at quarterback has resulted in projections for their offense being somewhat lower than expected. Despite that, Darnold has gotten off to a hot start at training camp, as he hit several tough throws in their most recent practice on Thursday, with the highlight of them all being a 40-yard strike to Jordan Addison.

Via Alec Lewis:

“Oh my heavens. Sam Darnold does it again. A 40+ laser beam to Jordan Addison over the top. A beauty, frankly.”

J.J. McCarthy holding his own against Sam Darnold in Vikings QB battle

Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy points down the field during the second half of the College Football Playoff national championship game against Washington
Mandatory Credit: Melanie Maxwell-USA TODAY NETWORK

While Darnold has looked solid to start training camp, he hasn't completely managed to overshadow the rookie McCarthy. All eyes are going to be on him since he's billed as the team's quarterback of the future, and while he may not start right away, watching his initial development with the team is going to be something that fans want to pay attention to.

Sure enough, McCarthy has largely matched Darnold throw for throw early on in camp, which is precisely what Minnesota and their fans were hoping to see. Darnold had his highlights, but McCarthy went toe-to-toe with him for the most part, and he looked surgical in their most recent action on Thursday.

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Via Will Ragatz:

“Yeah McCarthy’s having a strong day today so far. Ripping the ball with velo into tight windows.”

The Vikings aren't going to rush McCarthy into the action, especially if Darnold is playing well and can hold down the spot for the time being. But seeing both guys get off to hot starts at training camp is precisely what the team was hoping for, and any sort of competition is going to be good for the team moving forward. Whether or not McCarthy can truly push Darnold for the starting job remains to be seen, but it looks like a battle between these two guys may be brewing early on in camp.