Over a month before the regular season opener in Minneapolis, the Green Bay Packers know who will be under center and starting at quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings come Week 1.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Vikings are naming former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray as the team's starter entering the 2026 season -- beating out 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy.
Another layer of intrigue: Murray, the first overall pick in the 2019 draft and a two-time Pro Bowler, played the last three seasons in Arizona under coach Jonathan Gannon, who is now the Packers defensive coordinator.
Released by the Cardinals, Murray signed a one-year deal with the Vikings, hoping a stop in Minneapolis can help revive his NFL career.
Murray, 29,
has started two games in his career against the Packers, losing both. He was intercepted in the end zone by Rasul Douglas to end a 24-21 win for the Packers in 2021, and he led the Cardinals to only 13 points in a 21-point defeat at Lambeau Field in 2024. Murray did not play in Arizona's loss to the Packers last season.
While undersized at 5-10, Murray is a dynamic runner and playmaker, and he's thrown 121 touchdown passes against only 60 interceptions while rushing for 32 touchdowns over 87 career starts.
The Packers and Vikings will kick off the 2026 season at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 13.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers to face Kyler Murray in Week 1 as Vikings name their starting QB
