Jordan Dajani· Aug 11, 2026
A CBS Sports piece states Kyler Murray will be Minnesota's Week 1 starting quarterback with J.J. McCarthy as the backup, and suggests Tua Tagovailoa appears to have the Falcons' starting job locked up.
“Murray will be the Vikings' fourth different Week 1 starting quarterback over the last four years.”
published in writing · CBS Sports · read the original →
3 checkable claims — 3 depth chart calls — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.
It names 5 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
1 of 3 have settled so far, averaging 100 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess at the same calls.
Of the 2 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room on every one.
Where this call stands in the room
Tua Tagovailoa · 2026 season31 calls from 25 pundits between 1 and 2. Jordan Dajani said 1. the room's median is 1. not settled yet
Every dot is a call somebody published on the same question. Where the dots land says where this take sits, not whether it is right — nothing here is settled yet. Hover a dot for the name and number; click it to read that take.
Where do you stand? Pick this and every open claim on Picks →
Who this take is about
The game in this take
- Packers at Vikings 42 calls
3 checkable claims in this take
Each one is scored on its own against the published methodology. A pundit naming several outcomes is graded on each, not on all-or-nothing.
- Depth Chart CallsKyler MurrayMinnesota VikingsAug 11, 2026
Kyler Murray to be 1st on the depth chart
“Murray will be the Vikings' fourth different Week 1 starting quarterback over the last four years.”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 0+200 skillHow this was scored
- club:
- MIN
- week:
- 1
- skill:
- 200
- player:
- Kyler Murray
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he starts
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 0
- position:
- quarterback
- reported:
- named the starter
- naive slot:
- 2
- settled by:
- a confirmed report from the crawl (reported outcomes)
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- he keeps the job he had last season
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- Depth Chart CallsTua TagovailoaAtlanta FalconsAug 11, 2026
Tua Tagovailoa to be 1st on the depth chart
“Tua Tagovailoa may have the Atlanta Falcons job wrapped up since Michael Penix Jr. hasn't even been cleared for 11-on-11 work.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Depth Chart CallsJ.J. McCarthyMinnesota VikingsAug 11, 2026
J.J. McCarthy to be 2nd on the depth chart
“As for the status of McCarthy, O'Connell said he is slotted in as the backup and "he's ready to go."”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
What others said about the same people
- Chris SimmsScore Predictions · Minnesota VikingsHit · 90Simms went through the entire Week 3 slate with straight-up winners and predicted final scores, taking Jacksonville, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Detroit, Houston, Carolina, Kansas City, Seattle, the Giants, Baltimore, New Orleans, Minnesota, San Francisco, Denver and Philadelphia. He also expected Zay Flowers and Puka Nacua to sit, Kyler Murray to play, and said Marvin Harrison Jr. projects as no better than a good No. 2 or high-end No. 3 receiver.
- Sam MonsonGame Outcome Picks · Minnesota VikingsHit · 100Monson picked the Chargers to beat the Bills outright (jokingly crediting Buffalo's gray 'Nickel City' jerseys), took the Vikings to win outright in Tampa, and said Seattle would destroy Washington. He also reiterated his Super Bowl pick of Denver over the Rams, called the Dolphins destined for the No. 1 overall pick, and said the Saints are a worst-to-first candidate in the NFC South.
- Carter BahnsRoster Spot Calls · Jeshaun JonesMiss · 0A CBS Sports piece expects suspended Vikings receiver Jeshaun Jones to lose his roster battle and be cut by the Aug. 30 deadline, given Minnesota's established receiver group.
- Ryan WilsonPosition Order Calls · J.J. McCarthyHit · 100Recalling his pre-draft evaluation, Wilson notes he had ranked J.J. McCarthy as the fifth quarterback in the 2024 class and given him a second-round grade rather than a first-round one, citing the gap between Michigan's system and NFL demands.
- Adam CarlsonTrade and Signing Calls · J.J. McCarthyHit · 100Carlson names three Vikings he expects could be traded before the end of September: quarterback J.J. McCarthy, wide receiver Jordan Addison and linebacker Ivan Pace.
- Greg AumanTrade and Signing Calls · J.J. McCarthyHit · 100Auman argues no quarterback is likely to replicate Sam Darnold's turnaround this season, but names five candidates. He expects Miami to hold a very high pick in the 2027 draft, and thinks J.J. McCarthy will eventually be traded for a late-round pick or cut by the Vikings.
More depth chart calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
- Pat FitzmauriceDepth Chart Calls · Jonah ColemanMiss · 0In his Week 3 waiver column, Fitzmaurice makes several depth-chart calls around injuries: Jonah Coleman leading Denver's backfield, Marcus Mariota taking over in Washington, Michael Penix Jr. starting once healthy, and Malik Washington serving as Miami's top receiver, plus availability expectations for Detroit's injured safeties.
- Matt SeveranceDepth Chart Calls · Deshaun WatsonHit · 100The CBS Sports preview backs Tampa Bay to beat Cleveland in the Bucs' Week 2 home opener, and states that Deshaun Watson — not Shedeur Sanders — will be Cleveland's starting quarterback in Week 2.
- Rafael ZamoranoDepth Chart Calls · Deshaun WatsonHit · 100Zamorano reports Watson will start Week 2 at Tampa Bay and suggests there's little reason to expect improvement, raising the possibility Watson's five-year contract never yields more than single-digit wins.
- Pat FitzmauriceDepth Chart Calls · Rashod BatemanMiss · 0In his Week 2 waiver wire column, Fitzmaurice recommends a slate of pickups he expects to outperform their current rostership (Kaelon Black, Deebo Samuel, Tyler Shough, Geno Smith and others), lays out several depth-chart expectations (Black as the 49ers' No. 2 back, Shedeur Sanders eventually taking over in Cleveland, Penix returning for Atlanta), and flags Fool's Gold/drop candidates such as Mike Gesicki, Kendrick Bourne and Rashid Shaheed.
- Bill HuberDepth Chart Calls · Chris McClellanMiss · 0Huber's first Packers rookie progress report projects second-round cornerback Brandon Cisse to hold onto his spot with the No. 1 defense, third-round defensive tackle Chris McClellan to start in Week 1, and fifth-round lineman Jager Burton to be the team's top interior backup rather than a starter.
- Tyler SullivanDepth Chart Calls · Deshaun WatsonHit · 100An unsigned CBS Sports preseason review grading all 32 teams, which along the way stakes out a number of depth-chart calls for Week 1 and beyond — including Deshaun Watson opening as Cleveland's starter, Fernando Mendoza taking over as Las Vegas' QB1 by season's end, and Minnesota's Murray-Wentz-McCarthy quarterback order.