NFL training camps are kicking off this week, which means the fantasy football season is basically here, and while most teams are locked and loaded at quarterback, some are staring down some wild competitions. Yahoo analyst Matt Harmon just dropped the truth bombs on the biggest signal-caller headaches across the league as camps get underway.
Kyler Murray Is The Man In Minnesota, No Debate
Let’s be real: of all the supposed quarterback battles, the one brewing in Minnesota between J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray feels like the biggest farce. The Vikings are *insistent* that McCarthy gets an even shot at the QB1 role, but come on, nobody’s buying it. Harmon isn’t either, and frankly, who is? Murray, despite his flaws, is the far better option heading into Week 1. McCarthy’s rookie season was an all-out flop, his 4.31 adjusted net yards per pass attempt in 2025 ranking a dismal 40th out of 45 passers with over 100 attempts. Murray, even in what was by far the lowest mark of his career, still hit 4.72, landing him at 37th. Even at his absolute worst, in a far tougher situation, Murray was objectively better than McCarthy.
Unless McCarthy somehow transformed overnight into a completely different player, you better believe Murray’s gonna be starting the vast majority of games in 2026, if not all of them. His rushing ability alone makes him a clear QB1 candidate in fantasy, and he slots right into that downfield-oriented Vikings passing game. Sure, he won’t attack the middle of the field like Sam Darnold did for Kevin O’Connell back in 2024, but his deep throws will be money.
Browns QB Situation Is A Hot Mess
Over in Cleveland, the Browns tried to “soft-launch” the idea of Deshaun Watson getting another shot as starter, even though he missed all of last season. But after OTAs, it sounds like Shedeur Sanders has already closed the gap on Watson. That’s probably more of a statement on Watson’s current lack of potency, which, let’s be honest, isn’t a shocker given his last few years. Sanders wasn’t exactly lighting it up last season either, his 35.5% dropback success rate putting him 43rd out of 45 qualifying passers, only beating out Brady Cook and his own teammate Dillon Gabriel. You could argue Sanders is better than those numbers suggest, and he *could* take a step forward with more talent around him and Todd Monken calling plays as the new head coach.
My gut, and Harmon’s, says we’ll see both Watson and Sanders starting games for Cleveland this season. We might even get a glimpse of Taylen Green toward the end of the year if the Browns decide to check out their highly-athletic quarterback. Expect Green to pop up on those “sicko waiver wire” columns. The bottom line? The Browns clearly don’t have their 2027 quarterback on the roster, but with an abundance of interesting young weapons, it’s a situation you absolutely have to track.
Falcons Have Two Wildly Different Lefties
Down in Atlanta, the Falcons have a fascinating, albeit stylistically opposite, QB battle with Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. They’re both left-handed, but that’s where the similarities end. Tagovailoa gets the ball out super quickly and operates well over the middle, even with some obvious arm strength limitations. Penix, on the other hand, doesn’t hit the middle of the field much and has a bit of a laborious throwing motion. But man, can he access those deep outside-the-numbers throws thanks to his aggressive mindset and a genuine howitzer of an arm.
As training camps explode into action this week, keep your eyes peeled. These QB battles aren’t just fantasy fodder, they’re going to shape these teams’ entire seasons!
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.
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