NFL training camps are officially open, which means it is go time for every player fighting for a roster spot or a starting gig. This year’s camps are already feeling extra spicy with some huge quarterback battles shaping up to be must-watch drama.
QB Wars Are Officially Underway
The biggest shocker has to be in Minnesota, where Kyler Murray just signed a veteran’s minimum deal. Think about that: his salary-cap hit is roughly one-quarter of what 2024 first-rounder J.J. McCarthy is carrying! With Murray still collecting dead money from the Cardinals, the Vikings snagged him on the cheap, and he might just be the clubhouse favorite for the job. McCarthy, after two turbulent seasons, has serious ground to make up if he wants to rewrite his story. Over in Atlanta, it’s a battle of the dueling lefties: Tua Tagovailoa versus Michael Penix Jr. Tagovailoa looks like the headlong favorite to win the Falcons’ job, especially with Penix coming off an ACL injury. Still, new head coach Kevin Stefanski has declared it an open competition, and both guys are facing career-shifting seasons. Tagovailoa needs to rediscover his magic, and Penix needs to justify his team using a top-10 draft pick on him just two years ago.
Watson’s Last Stand and the Wild, Wild West
The Browns, forever in this conversation, are yet again undecided at quarterback. It is longtime disappointment Deshaun Watson against Shedeur Sanders, who started the final seven games last season. New head coach Todd Monken seems open to giving Sanders a fair shot, and let’s be real, Watson is returning from his second Achilles tendon tear, which wiped out his entire 2025 season. He has only started 19 games in five seasons in Cleveland, with highly uneven results, and it has been almost two years since his last live rep. But you still cannot count him out, right? Out in the desert, Arizona has uncertainty with starter Jacoby Brissett at odds with the team over his contract. That could open the door for journeyman Gardner Minshaw or third-round rookie Carson Beck, who started the national title game against Fernando Mendoza. Speaking of Mendoza, he almost certainly will not be the Raiders’ Week 1 starter. Reports indicate Kirk Cousins will shepherd that position for now, and perhaps longer than most No. 1 picks typically wait these days.
The stakes are sky-high across the league. Training camp is where jobs get won, lost, and roles cemented for the season ahead. We are about to see if these veteran QBs can hold off the younger talent or if a new era is about to begin. Every snap, every practice rep, every preseason game from here on out matters.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply