MINNEAPOLIS – The Minnesota Vikings signed quarterback Kyler Murray on Thursday, after focusing their latest search on the first overall pick from the 2019 NFL draft who was just released by the Arizona Cardinals.
Murray visited Vikings headquarters before agreeing to a contract, one day after he was cut by the Cardinals despite them owing him $36.8 million in guaranteed salary for this season.
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The Vikings didn't have many other options this year for challenging — or replacing — J.J. McCarthy, their 2024 first-round draft pick whose injuries and inconsistency have raised the question of how long they can afford to wait for him to develop.
Murray, despite being sidetracked by recent injuries and dogged by questions about his work ethic, has two Pro Bowl selections, a 67% career completion percentage — and a bonus of 3,193 rushing yards with 32 touchdowns.
After winning the Heisman Trophy at Oklahoma, Murray was voted the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and appeared to have the Cardinals on the upswing. He produced multiple electrifying highlights such as the “Hail Murray” in 2020, when he connected with DeAndre Hopkins for a game-winning touchdown pass against the Buffalo Bills on the game’s final play. Murray passed for 400 yards in a Week 2 win over Minnesota in 2021, when Arizona started 10-2 before finishing 11-6.
The Cardinals signed Murray to $230.5 million, five-year contract in 2022 with $160 million guaranteed, but the honeymoon after that hefty commitment was short. A few weeks after the deal was done, the Cardinals removed a strange clause in the contract that mandated four hours of “independent study” during game weeks. The kerfuffle called into question Murray’s work habits, and his relationship with the franchise was never the same.
Murray tore the ACL in his right knee late in the 2022 season, causing him to miss a big chunk of the 2023 schedule in Jonathan Gannon's first season as coach. The Gannon-Murray relationship held some promise in 2024 when the Cardinals improved to 8-9 and were in the playoff hunt until the final few weeks of the season, but the 2025 season fell apart quickly.
Murray played only five games because of an injury to his right foot that was initially believed to only need a few weeks for recovery. Veteran backup Jacoby Brissett performed well in his absence, Murray was eventually placed on injured reserve, and the Cardinals fired Gannon after tying for the league’s worst record at 3-14. Murray led Arizona to the playoffs just once in seven seasons, a wild-card round loss in 2021 to the eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams.
Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell was the offensive coordinator for that Rams team. From Kirk Cousins to a handful of injury replacements in 2023 to Sam Darnold in 2024 to McCarthy in 2025, O'Connell has had a carousel of starting quarterbacks in his four years and might well have a new one in 2026 with Murray.
After missing his rookie season while recovering from knee surgery, McCarthy had an ankle sprain, a concussion and a broken hand in 2025 that limited him to 10 starts and only eight games finished. Even when he was healthy, his struggles with accuracy were pronounced enough to force the Vikings to consider alternatives despite his significant potential.
After winging it with Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer as the backups last year, O’Connell and the Vikings realized they at least needed more depth if they’re going to run McCarthy back in 2026. McCarthy, for his part, sounded aware that his hold on the starting job is tenuous, too.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL