MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Vikings found Kyler Murray an ideal addition to their quarterback depth chart, setting up stiff competition for incumbent starter J.J. McCarthy for the No. 1 role behind center this season — and perhaps beyond.
Murray visited Vikings headquarters and signed a one-year contract Thursday, a day after the No. 1 pick of the 2019 NFL draft was released by the Arizona Cardinals. Because he’s already owed $36.8 million in guaranteed salary by the Cardinals for this season, Murray was able to sign for the veteran minimum of $1.3 million and give the Vikings a no-risk opportunity.
“Contractually, it doesn’t really make a difference to me. Every year to me is a ‘go out there and prove it’ year,” Murray said on a video call with reporters.
The 5-foot-10, 207-pound Murray, despite being sidetracked recently by injuries and dogged by questions about his work ethic, has two Pro Bowl selections, a 67% career completion percentage, a 2-to-1 ratio of touchdown passes to interceptions, and a bonus of 3,193 rushing yards with 32 scores as a pro.
McCarthy (6-3, 219), the Vikings’ first-round draft pick from 2024 whose injuries and inconsistency have raised the question of how long they can afford to wait for him to develop, missed his rookie season while recovering from knee surgery.
Last year, he had an ankle sprain, a concussion and a broken hand 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.
“I talked to him this week. We had a great conversation about the things he’s been working on,” fifth-year Minnesota head coach Kevin O’Connell said. “He’s focused on what’s out in front of him personally, and he’s attacking that every single day. He’s doing great.”
Murray, as if he were sliding away from a pass rusher in the pocket, smoothly sidestepped a question about whether he believes he was targeted to compete with McCarthy or was promised the starting job. O’Connell pointed to the calendar and declined to dive into what will be the primary storyline throughout the offseason for the Vikings until a starter is declared.
“I don’t believe we have to name one of those currently,” O’Connell said.
Murray, who turns 29 on Aug. 7, will have the opportunity to rejuvenate his career and set up a big payday next year, much like Sam Darnold did in 2024 with O’Connell and the Vikings after McCarthy was sidelined. Darnold moved on to the Seattle Seahawks ahead of the 2025 season and led the franchise to its second Super Bowl title in February.
Though Murray has not played in a system like the one O’Connell runs, his ability is such that finding a way to be productive with him ought not to be difficult for the 2024 NFL coach of the year.
“I don’t want to put any limitations on what that looks like. He’s had a tremendous amount of success with different quarterbacks. I know what my skill set brings to the game. I know what I’m capable of,” said Murray, who won the 2018 Heisman Trophy in his final college season at Oklahoma before becoming the NFL offensive rookie of the year.
The Cardinals signed Murray to a hefty contract extension in 2022, but a few weeks after the deal was done, the club 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 more than half of the 2023 schedule. Then he played only five games in 2025 because of an injury to his right foot.
Murray led Arizona to the playoffs just once in seven years, and that appearance ended quickly with a wild-card round loss after the 2021 season to the Los Angeles Rams, who went on to win the Super Bowl. O’Connell, the offensive coordinator for that championship team, inherited with the Vikings in 2022 a productive veteran quarterback who fit well with his scheme in Kirk Cousins.
Cousins was playing as well as he had in his career in 2023 until tearing his Achilles tendon halfway through the season, starting a carousel of starting quarterbacks that hasn’t stopped spinning for this club. Minnesota has found plenty of short-term success but failed to find a franchise cornerstone.
With Darnold, McCarthy and now Murray, O’Connell will have coached three top-10 draft picks at his specialty position. Murray could become the ninth starting quarterback in five years.
The match appears to be ideal — and maybe even destined. Murray posted on social media a picture of him in a youth football uniform for a team called the Vikings, an experience at age 7 that formed in him a fondness for the NFL franchise of that name. Murray revealed that he “cried real tears” after the interception Brett Favre threw late in the NFC championship game after the 2009 season that helped keep that team from reaching the Super Bowl.
“Never in a million years did I think that this was going to come around full circle,” Murray said. “I think that it’s a great fit. I’m thankful for the opportunity.”