EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings have chosen Kyler Murray as their starting quarterback over J.J. McCarthy, the widely expected conclusion to what coach Kevin O'Connell pledged was a true competition.
O'Connell made the announcement before practice on Tuesday afternoon, giving Murray a full month of full-time repetitions with the first-team offense before the regular season begins on Sept. 13. O'Connell and general manager Nolan Teasley met with both players in the morning to discuss the decision.
“I didn’t come in here expecting to be handed the job or anything like that. I just expected to come here and compete," Murray said after practice. "I’m very appreciative of how it was handled.”
With 87 starts over seven years in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals, two Pro Bowl selections and a unique elusiveness that has fueled 3,193 career rushing yards, Murray was going to have to either get hurt or badly struggle with his grasp of O'Connell's offense for McCarthy to keep the job.
An earlier end to the audition was always going to be ideal for Murray, too, in the familiarization process with a layered playbook that asks more of the quarterback than most teams in the league.
Based purely on performance in open-to-the-public practices, this depth chart battle was more even than not. But the Vikings have clearly been cognizant of the downside to splitting turns considering the value to Murray of maximizing his preseason time running the offense.
“It’s just the appropriate time now to allow our team and everybody clarity for exactly the direction we’re moving going forward,” O'Connell said.
Murray, who signed a one-year contract with the Vikings for the veteran minimum salary, will be the fourth starting quarterback in four season openers following McCarthy, Sam Darnold and Kirk Cousins.
“There’s moments in time where you know there’s comfort from Kyler in the scheme. He had some really high completion days where he was able to show some really, really good understanding of just putting the ball in play, playing with great timing, rhythm,” O'Connell said. “You guys have seen him be explosive when there’s opportunities there, but you’ve also seen him check the ball down and put the ball in play and get us from a first-and-10 to a second-and-3. And then, as you continued to look at the body of work through those 10 days, what jumped out is what could be.”
Both Murray and McCarthy will play in the first exhibition game on Saturday against the New York Giants, O'Connell said. McCarthy will be the second stringer, followed by Carson Wentz, who started five games last season while McCarthy was injured. Max Brosmer, who made two starts, is the other quarterback in camp.
McCarthy, who was not immediately made available for comment, was the 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft. He tore the meniscus in his right knee during the first exhibition game and underwent surgery that kept him sidelined for his entire rookie year while Darnold helped the Vikings rack up 14 wins.
After Darnold departed as a free agent for the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, McCarthy inherited the job without any legitimate competition and struggled as a variety of injuries limited him to 10 starts.
“Look, he’s a young player with a whole bunch of outstanding things in his future," O'Connell said, adding: "I know he’s going to continue to improve, and the long-term mindset of him as a Minnesota Viking and all the things that he’s brought here is still absolutely part of the long-term vision for sure. I’m excited to see him go do that and get to do it with him.”
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Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray stands on the field during the NFL football team's training camp Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026, in Eagan, Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia released an American military veteran on Tuesday, allowing his return to the U.S. after four years of what his family and U.S. officials allege was wrongful incarceration and abusive treatment that left him near death.
Robert Gilman, a 32-year-old Massachusetts teacher and former Marine, was freed after President Donald Trump said he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin about his release, which Trump said was “very much on a Humanitarian Basis.”
“We appreciate this decision, and the fact that Russia asked for no one in return — No exchange took place,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
Arrests of Americans have become increasingly common in Russia in recent years. Concern has risen that Russia could be targeting U.S. nationals to use later as bargaining chips in talks to bring back Russians convicted of crimes in the U.S. and Europe. Five other Americans remain imprisoned in Russia with deteriorating medical issues, according to a news release from Global Reach, a group that’s been working to free them.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted a photo on social media of a gaunt-looking Gilman draped in an American flag and surrounded by his family aboard an airplane.
“While we appreciate this positive step, we are still seeking the immediate return of all other unjustly detained Americans,” Rubio stated.
Gilman will arrive at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland outside of Washington on Tuesday evening, Trump said in his post.
“I just spoke to him, and he had one request — A GREAT cheeseburger when he lands,” Trump wrote. “I will take care of that!”
Gilman is bound for a military hospital in Texas, where he will be medically and psychologically assessed and treated, Eric Lebson, chief strategy officer of Global Reach, said in a statement.
Gilman was detained in 2022 on charges of beating a police officer after being taken off a train for causing a disturbance. He was convicted and handed a 3.5-year sentence.
He later was convicted of attacking a prison inspector during a cell check, beating an investigator and assaulting a guard. In October 2024, he was sentenced to eight years and one month. His sentence was extended in December to 10 years after he was found guilty of assaulting prison guards.
Russian media reported that he pleaded guilty to the charges and apologized to the guards he was charged with assaulting. The business daily Kommersant said he explained his actions by saying he wanted to stay in the prison where he was serving his sentence and avoid being moved to another penitentiary.
Gilman’s father has disputed the charges against his son, while the State Department has said the U.S. determined that Gilman was wrongfully detained,
Gilman's sister, Lexie Hudson, credited Trump and U.S. Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts with bringing about his release.
“There is no other reason that Robert is alive today other than that President Trump heard about the case and took action,” said Hudson, who thanked Markey “for leading our advocacy efforts in Congress.”
“The Russians treated my brother so badly," Hudson said. "They hurt him for no reason, other than that he was both an American and a Marine. What did they get out of this? Why did they do this to such a wonderful person?”
Russian officials did not immediately comment on Gilman's release. Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service did not respond to a request for comment on his health deteriorating behind bars.
Gilman’s lawyer Irina Brazhnikova told the Russian news agency Interfax on Friday that Gilman was in a psychiatric ward of a civilian hospital, where he’s been since early July.
He was there “due to a psychiatric condition,” and according to doctors, his condition has worsened, but neither his defense lawyers, nor his family were allowed to visit, she said.
Before Gilman was flown out of Russia, he had been in “a dissociative stupor” for 47 days due to the abuse he had suffered in prison, according to Lebson. After Gilman was moved to the hospital, he was hooked up to a feeding tube and handcuffed to a bed.
Hospital reports conveyed Gilman’s condition “as dire and life-threatening,” pushing the U.S. government into action and leading to his release, Lebson said.
Markey had called on Russia and the U.S. to work together to get Gilman released. He was among at least eight Americans who remained in Russian custody after a series of high-profile prisoner exchanges with the U.S. in recent years.
Markey blamed Russia for Gilman's poor health, saying his return to the U.S. was long overdue.
“It is a tragedy that it took Robert’s near-death condition for his case to receive the attention that it required for his release to be negotiated," Markey said. "Throughout his detention, Robert was subjected to physical torture, forced medication, and provocations by Russian authorities. There is no doubt that his treatment by Russian authorities is the reason Robert is in this precarious state today.”
FILE - American and Russian flags are pictured on stage before President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin participate in a joint press conference at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Aug. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
FILE - U.S. and Russian national flags wave on the wind at Moscow's Vnukovo airport, Russia, April 11, 2017. (AP Photo/ Ivan Sekretarev, File)
FILE - U.S. and Russian national flags wave on the wind at Moscow's Vnukovo airport, Russia, April 11, 2017. (AP Photo/ Ivan Sekretarev, File)
