The Buzzy QB1 Has Been Shown the Door
The Vikings may end up rolling with a new QB1 in 2026. If the desire is for that man to be Kyler Murray, then a deal can get done.
The former No. 1 selection is being cut, per Ian Rapoport of The NFL Network, who writes, “The #AZCardinals have informed QB Kyler Murray that they are releasing him, adding a key free agent to the market. Murray is due $36.8M guaranteed for 2026 with offsets, meaning he’ll play this season for someone for the minimum”
Coming with the assist is Tom Pelissero, who clarifies: “By rule, the Cardinals cannot release Kyler Murray until the league year begins next Wednesday, at which point he can sign elsewhere for the minimum — and he should have options.”
Vikings’ Search for a New QB1 Sees Kyler Murray Shake Loose
To begin, the arguments against signing Kyler Murray.
The 5’10” passer comes in at a very light 207 pounds. He is, in short, too short. Worse yet, he’s too brittle, getting hurt with some regularity. The veteran played in all seventeen games in 2024 but that stands out as an outlier in recent seasons. He played fourteen games in 2021, eleven games in 2022, eight games in 2023, seventeen games in 2024, and five games in 2025. That’s a lot of missed time.
Right or wrong, the quarterback has seen his commitment questioned in the past.
Plus, Murray doesn’t look like a perfect scheme fit. He thrives out of shotgun. The Vikings put their passers in that spot quite a lot, but Minnesota is a team that wants to line up under center so that they can feast on play action. That’s more Kirk Cousins than it is Murray.
Finally, note that he has been to the playoffs a single time. The end result was going 19/34 for 137 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions.
Consider, in contrast, the merit of Murray.
He’s a former No. 1 selection who is 28 and who has been in the NFL for seven seasons. He has seen a lot across his 87 career games. Murray’s career completion rate comes in at a sizzling 67.1%, an excellent number that points toward the easy accuracy that Kevin O’Connell covets above all.
A crazy quick runner, Murray makes defenders look foolish when trying to tackle him. Top receiver Justin Jefferson could get reignited. So would Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson. Deep passing would be back on the menu.
Bringing the whole thing together is the cost. Or, most specifically, the lack thereof. As Rapoport notes, a team is going to get him for ultra cheap. Cheaper, in fact, than even a rookie-contract QB. The recent word has Kyler Murray at just $1.3 million.
Coach O’Connell knows that something’s gotta give. What occurred last year cannot happen again (if it does, he’ll be unemployed). So, a minimum of one great competitor needs to get added to the mix. Murray is far from perfect, but he’s a very talented passer who has played his career with the Cardinals. The Vikings aren’t the cream of the crop, but Minnesota is far ahead of Arizona.
Expect the Vikings to have ample interest in the QB1 who is the middle of his prime.
