At Long Last, Vikings Land New Passer to Setup a QB1 Battle
For a little while, the Vikings landing a new passer has been a source of mystery. No longer.
Consider the word from Alec Lewis of The Athletic: “The Vikings are signing QB Kyler Murray to a one-year deal with a no-tag clause, per sources.”
Vikings Land Kyler Murray to Compete with J.J. McCarthy
To begin, journey back to what did the Vikings did in the passing game last season. Basic statistical rankings:
- 2,834 Passing Yards — 29th in NFL
- 18 Passing Touchdowns — 29th in NFL
- 21 Interceptions — 1st in NFL
- 5.2 Net Yards per Attempt — 28th in NFL
Put simply, the Minnesota Vikings were terrible at passing last season. Kevin O’Connell, widely praised as a “quarterback whisperer,” wasn’t helped by needing to shuffle between J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer. Still, though, the point remains: the Vikings weren’t anywhere close to good enough.
Maybe the main story from 2025 was the performance of Mr. McCarthy.
Yet again, the kid QB had to sort through injury issues. Thankfully, McCarthy didn’t lose his whole season, as he did in 2024 with his knee ailment. What he did lose, though, was continuity and reps as a result of an ankle sprain, concussion, and minor fracture in his hand.
McCarthy’s season finished off having gone 6-4 in his starts while completing 57.6% of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
Rubbing salt in the wound is that Sam Darnold went on to become Seattle’s QB1. The veteran’s regular season showed promise. Afterwards, Mr. Darnold worked alongside an elite defense to push the Seahawks all the way to the Super Bowl, claiming the Lombardi once there.
GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was fired as the Darnold playoff ascent was taking place.
Moving forward, the Vikings will see a quarterback battle take place. The safe money is on the newcomer winning the starter’s job, but outright dismissing McCarthy isn’t wise. He’s talented, works hard, and has already shown improvement.
Whoever wins the job will have ample support.
Pass catchers Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson are excellent. Being protected by Christian Darrisaw, Donovan Jackson, Will Fries, and Brian O’Neill means having bodyguards who should combine to be a formidable grouping. Questions remain at center, but having Blake Brandel as a fallback plan isn’t the worst spot to be.
Even better is that Aaron Jones is coming back. Doing so means having a great leader who is tough, hard working, and who competes. Well liked in the locker room, Jones will probably shift toward a more modest role for overall touches while still being a main part of the passing game (he’s got silky mitts).
Plus, Jordan Mason remains. He’s a hammer who treats defenders like nails. Minnesota would be wise to feature him more prominently.
Right now, the Vikings are moving ahead with J.J. McCarthy, Max Brosmer, and Kyler Murray. Whether someone else gets added (Anthony Richardson?) remains to be seen.
Look for four passers by the time it’s all said and done.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
