Love him or loathe him, former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray will always be a part of franchise history. He is a former first overall pick and played seven seasons with the Cardinals.
After Mike LaFleur was hired as the new head coach of the Cardinals after a historical 14 loss season, there were discussions immediately about the quarterback room.
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Who to keep? Did they want a QB competition between Murray and Jacoby Brissett?
Cut bait? Trade one? Release or trade both?
At the time, there were several free agent options such as Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson. The draft was approaching, and Arizona owned the #3 overall pick, which could be traded so that they could accrue more draft picks and get the young quarterback they wanted.
The decision that was made was to release Murray on March 11 and then anoint Brissett as the starter in 2026. The very next day, Murray inked a one-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings for $1.3 million, the veteran’s minimum.
His won-loss record with the Cardinals was 38-48-1. He passed for 20,460 yards and tossed 121 touchdowns. He ran for 3,193 rushing yards and scored another 32 times.
And now, he has been competing with former first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy for the starting role with the Vikes. Head coach Kevin O’Connell came out and stated the QB competition could be won by either athlete.
Before Tuesday’s practice, O’Connell informed the team that Murray was now the starting quarterback for the 2026 season, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic.
That didn’t take long. Minnesota has yet to play a preseason game.
O’Connell told Lewis:
“It’s just the appropriate time now to give our team and everybody clarity on the direction we’re taking.”
The Vikings had 10 training camp practices with the lion’s share of first-team reps taken by Murray. Their team media just assumed that O’Connell and his offensive coaches had already seen what McCarthy could do and wanted to get to know their shiny new toy.
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Murray has quite a few offensive weapons at his disposal in Minnesota, with WR Justin Jefferson front and center. Jauan Jennings was signed away from the San Francisco 49ers, and T.J. Hockenson is one of the league’s best tight ends. Aaron Jones is the stud running back, and the team drafted a fullback this year by taking the draft’s #1-ranked player at that position in Max Bredeson.
ESPN ranked all teams’ offensive weapons as the Cardinals were ranked #6. So, if Murray had remained in the desert, he would have had plenty of offensive help. But the Vikings ranked #8, which means he is on a really good offensive unit.
The Vikings see Murray as the answer to their most important position.
O’Connell added:
“As he knows, he’s holding the pen on his story, and we’re going to support him and try to help him continue to improve as a young player at the most difficult position in sports.”
Although on a one-year deal, if Murray plays well and remains vertical, a new contract will certainly be announced sometime in December to keep him in-house for the long run.
Their offense is predicated on a running quarterback and shorter passing plays with heavy tight end usage. The coaching staff has already fused formations and concepts that suit what Murray does best.
The other quarterbacks on the roster besides Murray and McCarthy are Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer. Most NFL clubs will retain three signalcallers on their main roster and at least one on the practice squad.
