Yet Again, The Vikings’ Quarterback Price Tag Comes into Focus
Every so often, the Vikings’ quarterback price tag comes into focus in a fresh way. Consider a recent example.
Zach Wilson played his college ball at BYU before getting scooped up at No. 2 in the 2021 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. As is tradition for the Jets, Wilson struggled, leading to a journeyman career after moving on. He went from New York to Denver before then travelling to Miami. His next stop is with the New Orleans Saints, agreeing to a deal for $1,402,500, a number that should cause Minnesota’s football fans to perk up.
The Vikings’ Quarterback Price Tag is Silly
Consider me among those who thinks that Kyler Murray is a poor scheme fit.
The Vikings like passers with really good size (look back at how they discussed Sam Darnold and Carson Wentz). So, too, do they want an assassin from under center, especially when play action is the strategy. More recently, there has been quite a bit of discussion of quarterback health being the central factor toward a successful season versus a less-than-successful season (read: making the playoffs or not).
Murray is a small player, has a reputation for being injury prone, and he shines out of shotgun. That can work for the Vikings, but the team and passer will each need to give ground to arrive at some sort of middle ground fit.
But then there’s the cost. At $1.3 million, who cares if Kyler Murray isn’t a perfect fit? Even Zach Wilson is demanding more.
Check out their numbers on a side-by-side basis, doing so by boiling things down to the average statistics over a full season:
| Kyler Murray | Zach Wilson |
| Comp. %: 67.1 | Comp. %: 57.0 |
| Yards: 3,998 | Yards: 2,830 Yards |
| TDs: 24 | TDs: 10 |
| INTs: 12 | INTs: 11 |
| Passer Rating: 92.2 | Passer Rating: 73.1 |
Of course, there are more details to consider than just the most basic statistics. Wilson is younger, sitting at 26 where Murray is coming in at 28. Wilson has better size. These things work in Wilson’s favor.
A similarity exists insofar as the average quarterback records are pretty underwhelming. A normal Murray season comes with a 7-10 record; a normal Wilson season comes with a 6-11 record.
Nobody who lives in reality, though, will insist that Wilson is anywhere close to Murray. The former Cardinal and current Viking is a strong starting quarterback (at minimum). He’s flawed but better than most. Worthy of being a starter where Wilson is battling to make a final roster as the QB3 who is pushing for QB2.
Even still, Zach Wilson is making more money. Making things even crazier is that cutting Wilson would mean accepting close to $600,000 while cutting Murray would mean taking on $0 in dead money.
Other NFL quarterbacks making more than Kyler Murray in 2026 are Drew Lock ($2.75M), Trey Lance ($2.5M), Sam Howell ($2.5M), Case Keenum ($2.2M), Tommy DeVito ($1.55M), and many others who aren’t anywhere close to Murray.
Seeing Kyler Murray flop wouldn’t arrive as a complete surprise. Neither would it be surprising to see him do very well. At just $1.3 million with zero in guarantees, it’s worth it for Minnesota to find out.
His career shows strong statistics alongside being a two-time Pro Bowler, Offensive Rookie of the Year (2019), and someone who generated votes for Comeback Player of the Year (2023 and 2024).
Squeezing some extra excellence out of him would mean Minnesota has pulled off a heist.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
