Minnesota’s QB1 battle is fully open.
The Vikings on Thursday agreed to a one-year deal with free agent quarterback Kyler Murray, the team announced.
Because the Arizona Cardinals owe Murray $36.8 million following his release, his deal with Minnesota will only be for the veteran league minimum once signed.
Murray also posted about the move on social media:
The 2019 No. 1 overall pick, Murray only made one postseason appearance in his time with Arizona, as the team never built a proper contender around him.
He’s coming off an injury-riddled 2025 season, where he played five games. He recorded 962 throwing yards, six touchdowns and three picks on a 68.3% completion rate. He also ran for 173 yards and averaged 6.0 yards per run.
Minnesota was one of the top options that made the most sense for Murray at this stage of his career. He’ll turn 29 in August, and the Vikings are one season removed from a 14-3 run. They banked on 2024 No. 10 overall pick J.J. McCarthy to be the future after Sam Darnold’s one-season turnaround, but it didn’t show much promise.
McCarthy’s redshirt year saw him throw for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 picks on a 57.6% completion rate across 10 games. Minnesota regressed and finished last in a tight NFC North that included the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions. Caleb Williams and Jared Goff are fellow top overall picks under center.
The division is expected to remain competitive at the top, so the Vikings will need all the needle movers it can get. Justin Jefferson is the star wide receiver and the franchise’s best player, so someone who can get him the ball more consistently was a necessity before other teams start poking around.
If Murray earns the starting job and keeps it, Minnesota may find itself in a delicate situation surrounding its 2024 first-round investment.
Here are five things to know about Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy.