There was an air of panic around the Minnesota Vikings as the 2025 season came to a conclusion. Instead of returning to the playoffs and possibly taking the division title, the Vikings lost 8 of their first 12 games and fell out of contention right away. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy could not prove himself as leader because he battled injuries and inconsistency. As a result, the Vikings came to the conclusion that they needed a new man to either take over as the QB1 or at least push McCarthy and help him become a dynamic player.
The Vikings decided that the philosophy that they had adopted a year ago was insufficient. They had allowed starting quarterback Sam Darnold to walk away through free agency . He would sign with the Seattle Seahawks and lead that team to a Super Bowl victory.
The Vikings had Darnold in their grasp and they let him slip through their fingers. That decision was laid at the feet of general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, and he was fired for that misdeed. The Vikings were not going to make the same mistake they made a year ago. They brought in a quarterback to compete with McCarthy and push him to a higher level.
Vikings sign Murray to compete with McCarthy at the QB position
While that makes sense, the quarterback that they brought in was Kyler Murray, who had spent the first seven years of his career with the Arizona Cardinals. Murray was looked at as a phenom when he eschewed a career as a Major League baseball player with the Oakland Athletics to play football with the Cardinals.
Murray clearly had brilliant athletic ability and he had several highlight-film moments in his run with the Cardinals. They made the playoffs once with Murray under center, but the team's overall performance was not good enough. As the quarterback, Murray had to take his share of the blame and the Cardinals decided that he was not going to turn that team around.
The Vikings looked at Murray and decided that he was good enough to bring him into the fold. Murray was signed to a bargain-basement contract. He is scheduled to earn $1.3 million from the Vikings after putting his signature on a 1-year contract. The Vikings were able to bring him in so cheaply because he is still receiving $36.8 million in guaranteed money from the Cardinals.
Murray's run in Arizona ended badly
Murray lost his job with the Cardinal last season. After starting the season with a 2-3 record, he was replaced as the starter by Jacoby Brissett, and the backup remained under center the rest of the season even though he led the team to a 1-11 record in his 12 starts.
Murray completed 110 of 161 passes for 962 yards with 6 touchdown and 3 interceptions before he was benched. The Viking can look at Murray's 68.3 completion percentage and have faith in him, but he no longer has the swagger he once did when the Cardinals made him their starter.
The Vikings are under the belief that Murray will reach a new level because he will be working with one of the NFL's foremost quarterback whisperers in head coach Kevin O'Connell.
The Vikings' sideline boss has full confidence in his ability to get the most out of any quarterback he works with regardless of past issues. He has had success with Matthew Stafford, Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold, but he had struggles with other quarterbacks.
Can O'Connell get the most out of Murray?
That's the question that won't be answered until the start of the regular season. O'Connell will break down Murray in an attempt to fine tune his process. He will be able to make sure that Murray is on the same page as his receivers, and the communication between the quarterback and superstar Justin Jefferson and speedster Jordan Addison will be excellent.
O'Connell will also gain a full understanding on how Murray wants to play the position and figure out ways to maximize his strengths and minimize his weaknesses.
Even if O'Connell is the ideal coach for any talented quarterback to work with, it comes down to Murray and his overall leadership and execution in key games during the season. Murray is a two-time Pro Bowl performer who earned those honors during the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
The Vikings are counting on Murray at least being good enough to push McCarthy to a high-level performance. However, that may not meet the standard that O'Connell wants from the position. The Vikings are under the belief that Murray will be good enough to get the Vikings back in the playoffs and in a position where they will be successful in the postseason.
Murray may have flashed his overall talent during his seven years with the Cardinals, but he has never shown the consistency needed to be one of the game's great winners. The Vikings are expecting far too much from Murray, and installing him as their QB1 appears to be a major mistake that could lead to another disappointing season.
