They kept the rookie punter Brett Thorson over the veteran Johnny Hekker, cut running back Zavier Scott, traded backup tackle Walter Rouse and picked up a guard and center off waivers. The roster work leading up to the first game of the season is never done.

Nor is the speculation work ever finished for the fellas at the Vikings Territory Breakdown podcast—Joe Oberle, senior writer at vikingsterritory.com and purplePTSD.com, and Mark Craig, NFL and Vikings writer for the Star Tribune and startribune.com. We will have all the latest moves by the Purple and comments on plenty of it. Tune in and check it out. Skol! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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While it is just a meaningless preseason game, the team’s performance instills little confidence in the QB position as the opening weekend for the 2026 season fast approaches. Murray did see some action in the joint practices with the Ravens at TCO Performance Center and didn’t fall on his face (nor did he ball out). And since no one lined up behind him to wrest the mantle of starter from him and instead muddied up the backup position, the handwringing of Purple Nation will continue. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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Stop the presses: The Vikings beat the New York Giants in the preseason opener last Saturday. On second thought, keep those presses rolling. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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The number one question going into the 2026 Minnesota Vikings Training Camp has been answered: the Vikings have named their starting quarterback. On Tuesday, head coach Kevin O’Connell confirmed reports that Kyler Murray beat out J.J. McCarthy in their quarterback competition and will start under center (barring any unforeseen circumstances) in the season opener at home against the Green Bay Packers.

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Indeed, there are many more players to discuss when the fellas at the Vikings Territory Breakdown podcast—Joe Oberle, senior writer at vikingsterritory.com and purplePTSD.com, and Mark Craig, NFL and Vikings writer for the Star Tribune and startribune.com—get together this week. Tune in and check it out. Skol! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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There are plenty of other questions to be answered as the team begins camp, and the fellas at the Vikings Territory Breakdown podcast—Joe Oberle, senior writer at vikingsterritory.com and purplePTSD.com, and Mark Craig, NFL and Vikings writer for the Star Tribune and startribune.com—are on hand to talk about them. Tune in and check it out. Skol! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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Will Dallas Turner and Jacoby Thomas make up for the loss of Jonathan Greenard? Is Ivan Pace on the bubble and in danger of being cut? What will the secondary look like on opening day (and what will happen with Harrison Smith)? What do we expect the running back rotation to be with the aging Aaron Jones, backup Jordan Mason and the rookie speedster Demond Claiborne? Is the offensive line healthy and ready to take a step forward? And will it protect the cornerback enough for either one to succeed? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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So, that’s why, five years after we lost the original Purple J.J.—the dreamer, creator and hardest-working podcaster I ever knew—we wanted to bring back that voice from the archives. We are in the doldrums of the NFL offseason, and scheduling conflicts occasionally conspire against our “big shot” talking heads, so we decided to fill in with an inspiring blast from the past.

All the old pods can still be found online, so why not unearth something to remind us how we got here? Bringing back Joe’s purple-tinged voice is a labor of love for us here, but it also is a fun way to highlight the archives for our listeners, who need a bridge to the next season (and may not want to hear yet another analysis of who is in line for the starting quarterback for the Vikings this season). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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Do you want to go camping? The Vikings have been—they broke mini-camp last week at TCO Performance Center in Eagan and are now preparing for Training Camp to be held in August at the same place. There were several story lines coming out of mini-camp and others going into training camp—including the quarterback saga, which never seems to abate for this franchise. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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The Minnesota Vikings’ OTAs (Organized Team Activities) continued this week and, as per usual, plenty of news has come out of TCO Performance Center. The announcement that the Vikings hired former Seattle Seahawks assistant GM Nolan Teasley as their new general manager grabbed the headlines, while the continuing quarterback strife percolated online and on the field.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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