So, what's next for Vikings quarterbacks J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray?

The competition between Minnesota's highest-drafted quarterback in franchise history (McCarthy) and the only person to be selected in the Top 10 of the NFL and MLB drafts (Murray), will resume in training camp next month after they embraced the situation and shared starting reps in the offseason program.

It's understandable to want to look ahead, but glancing back is important, as well, for the sake of context.

Let's turn, then, to Ben Goessling of the Minnesota Star Tribune, who on Tuesday did exactly that, outlining Murray's "fresh start" and McCarthy's "upward trajectory," to set the stage for their next test.

Goessling prefaced his article on the dueling quarterbacks with insights from the longest-tenured player on the Vikings offense, right tackle Brian O'Neill, who has blocked for nine QBs who have started at least one game in the past eight Vikings seasons.

Goessling wrote that O'Neill has "become a keen observer of the human condition, particularly the mental state of the quarterbacks he's charged with protecting" since he was drafted by the club in 2018.

O'Neill's closeness to the position has provided him an honest perspective of McCarthy's undulating career arc.

"I don't know how I would handle it," he commented last week about the 23-year-old QB who was injured his entire rookie year and then struggled to stay healthy and perform consistently when he became the starter last season. "Not many people I know on this team have had the path that he's had. There [are] so many more eyes on a quarterback. ... Everything's amplified."

Goessling explained McCarthy "has had a taste of all of it — right, wrong and indifferent — in his short time in Minnesota," and now "needs to show tangible improvement in accuracy, mechanics and decision-making," whereas Murray must master the offense without 100 percent of the first-team reps.

Murray has spoken candidly about the circumstances – he last was part of a competition to start as a college freshman – and emphasized his focus to make the most of it. Expectedly, though, there's a learning curve.

"Going back to the past [in Arizona, it was] being in control of everything, understanding what we were already doing, because I was comfortable within the system," Murray said. "Coming to a new system, learning on the fly, trying to play fast, efficient, and let it loose while learning, that's the toughest part."

An obvious advantage for McCarthy is his time on task under Head Coach Kevin O'Connell and Offensive Coordinator Wes Phillips, who characterized McCarthy's progress with an "upward arrow." Phenom wide receiver Justin Jefferson also has heeded McCarthy's growth, catching signs of his strides in several areas.

"He's gotten a little bit smarter into reading the different coverages and understanding the different throws he's making," said Jefferson, adding there's nuance to different deliveries. "Everything doesn't have to be 100 miles per hour; some throws, you can put a little touch on it and get it to the spot."

Read what else Goessling wrote about the ongoing QB competition with training camp on deck, here.

Most versatile superlative

There's no doubt, versatility is in vogue. Historically, but especially now, it's a highly coveted trait.

There are many Vikings candidates who fit the category. Andrew Van Ginkel has 18.5 sacks plus 29 tackles for loss since 2024, but he also has three interceptions, two for scores, and 16 pass breakups. Blake Brandel can play all five offensive line positions – he's literally done it – and is tracking to anchor the offensive line in 2026. And, Aaron Jones, Sr., is one of three active players, with San Francisco's Christian McCaffrey and Philadelphia's Saquon Barkley, above 7,500 rushing and 2,500 receiving yards.

Safety Joshua Metellus is arguably the most versatile Viking, however, and really has been since 2023.

That timeline coincides with the arrival of Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores, who for all intents and purposes unlocked the potential that Minnesota scouts identified in Metellus in the 2020 draft process.

Metellus on Monday made the Top 10 cut in Ted Nguyen's piece for The Athletic that highlights the most versatile players in the league. Nguyen compiled the list based on 2025 production and 2026 projections.

For what it's worth, in addition to Metellus, Nguyen gave flowers to Seahawks DB Nick Emmanwori, Ravens DB Kyle Hamilton, Chargers DB Derwin James, Rams WR Puka Nacua, McCaffrey, Eagles DB Cooper DeJean, Bears TE Colston Loveland, Jaguars DB/WR Travis Hunter and Panthers LB Devin Lloyd.

Nguyen gauged that Metellus isn't "a household name," at least not to the level as some of his other choices, but he lines up everywhere in Flores' scheme and holds the defense together as "a glue guy."

Metellus was assigned as a deep safety more often than he's accustomed to last season after Camryn Bynum left in free agency and Harrison Smith handled a career-low 85 percent of the possible defensive snaps across 15 games and 12 starts, which limited Metellus' impact closer to the line of scrimmage – but he was nevertheless a threat to make an impact anywhere on the field due to his range and Flores' creativity. Nguyen noted the importance of open-field tackling on a defense that frequently blitzes – the Vikings outpaced the No. 2 blitzing defense, Atlanta, 44.3 to 33.4% – and Metellus is reliable in that way.

The 28-year-old former sixth-round draft pick has posted missed-tackle rates of 10.1%, 2.8% and 7.5% in three seasons as a primary defender, and he has totaled 305 tackles in that span, tops for Vikings players.

Pending a few more splash plays, Metellus is deserving of household recognition thanks to his versatility.

Click here to read about the other nine Swiss Army knives that caught Nguyen's eye.