Kyler Murray Gets MVP Shoutout
Minnesota’s quarterback room remains a revolving door. Kirk Cousins stopped the bleeding during his six-year stint with the team, but the moment his Achilles ruptured on the muddy Lambeau Field grass, the old problems returned for the purple squad.
Since that moment in October of 2023, the Vikings have started Jaren Hall, Joshua Dobbs, Nick Mullens, Sam Darnold, J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer. Mind you, it’s been just 2.5 seasons.
The expectation is that the club will add another passer to that list in four months. Kyler Murray was acquired to elevate the quarterback room. McCarthy needed a more established player next to him in case he couldn’t demonstrate the necessary improvements.
Murray took a veteran minimum deal with the Vikings, as the Arizona Cardinals pay him handsomely in the meantime. He’s primed for a return to his old Pro Bowl days in his new surroundings, with a head coach who has shown his system works with a veteran running the show. Having an elite receiving crew certainly helps signal-callers, too.
Though he’s certainly not a favorite to land MVP honors, he still got an honorable mention from Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton, who ranked the top first-time MVP candidates. He gave his five favorites if there were no repeat winners, and three more honorable mentions. That’s where Murray ranked.
Moton explained, “Despite Kyler Murray’s recent struggles on the field and with injuries, he’s a talented two-time Pro Bowler who could be one of the league’s best in the right situation. Still in his prime, the 28-year-old could benefit from a change of scenery. With the Minnesota Vikings, Murray will play with two-time All-Pro wideout Justin Jefferson, a solid No. 2 receiver in Jordan Addison and reliable pass-catching tight end T.J. Hockenson.”
Since then, the Vikings even signed ex-49ers wideout Jauan Jennings to complete one of the best WR trios in the NFL. At 6’3″ and 212 lbs, he brings the physicality to the table that neither Addison nor Jefferson possesses. Hockenson had to help his team as a blocker last season. If both tackles (Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill) remain healthy, there’s a good chance his numbers improve after a couple of slower years.
Moton added the coaching angle, “Moreover, head coach Kevin O’Connell has fielded a top-six passing offense in three of the previous four years. Murray could flourish with the Vikings’ supporting cast on a team that competes for the No. 1 seed in the NFC.”
Sam Darnold and Kirk Cousins led explosive attacks. Murray could join that club.
The two-time Pro Bowler can be the missing piece, likely not for a Super Bowl win, but at least to return to relevance in 2026. In 2025, the Vikings finished 9-8 thanks to an elite defense, but the season basically ended around Thanksgiving due to subpar quarterback play.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell appeared on KFAN in March and intoduced his plan for the offense: “I call it the Justin Jefferson program. If they’re playing man coverage, they’re absolutely not playing Justin 1 on 1… what that means if you’re going to try and play those coverages, and have a spy for Kyler Murray, or for that matter any of our other QB’s, you’re leaving yourself a 3 man rush.”
At some point, defenses run out of personnel. Spying on the mobile quarterback and double-teaming Jefferson while taking care of the other weapons on that offense will be tricky.
Veteran Murray is just one year removed from a 26-touchdown season in which he appeared in all 17 games. Injuries have been a problem recently. A torn ACL cost him time in 2022 and 2023 and a foot injury sidelined him for the majority of last season. He was eventually benched for Jacoby Brissett. The NFC West franchise had no incentive to return their former first overall pick down the stretch, as they were fighting more for draft positioning than the playoff race.
His play will dictate if there’s any MVP buzz, but there’s reason to be hopeful about the 28-year-old in his first NFL campaign away from Arizona.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.