Kyler Murray
Kyler Murray could benefit the Vikings in 2026.
As the offseason quarterback carousel keeps spinning the Minnesota Vikings have yet to land on a solution for 2026.
NFL insider Ben Solak of ESPN sees outgoing Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray as “an interesting candidate” and “seems like a godsend” for the Vikings, a team beset with quarterback issues. That’s if the Vikings pursue Murray in free agency. Last year, the Vikings let Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones walk in free agency while J.J. McCarthy stumbled in his first year as a starter.
“Head coach Kevin O’Connell has garnered a reputation for quarterback rehabilitation. Kirk Cousins had one of his best seasons under O’Connell in 2022 and was on another tear in 2023 before an Achilles injury,” Solak wrote. “The story of Sam Darnold’s 2024 season is old hat. Even Daniel Jones kick-started his career resurgence with a cup of coffee on the Minnesota sideline.”
“But the Vikings are strapped for cash. Outgoing general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah spent aggressively while building around the rookie contract of quarterback J.J. McCarthy. But after many of Adofo-Mensah’s moves went poorly — and after McCarthy crashed and burned last season — the Vikings are left with little financial flexibility and a big need at QB1. Murray seems like a godsend to their problems.”
Right now, the Vikings have McCarthy and backups Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer — all three of whom delivered mixed results in 2025.
Kyler Murray’s Size an Issue For Vikings
Murray is 5-foot-10, one of the smallest quarterbacks in the league, but his athleticism and skill sets were enough for the Cardinals to take a swing with the No. 1 pick in 2019 out of Oklahoma. That size has the Vikings’ attention, Solak believes.
“Murray is not of O’Connell’s typical mold,” Solak wrote. “He is not a big-bodied pocket passer with a history of under-center dropbacks and middle-of-the-field reads.”
Murray has 67.1% career completion rate for 20,460 yards and 121 touchdowns versus 60 picks. He’s a dual threat with solid rushing skills amid 532 carries for 3,193 yards and 32 touchdowns in 87 career games.
While Murray doesn’t resemble past quarterback choices for O’Connell, the Vikings don’t have a great salary cap situation. Solak sees O’Connell as one who could “plug in a joystick quarterback of his choosing and scheme his way to 10-plus wins” in 2026.
“And because so many quarterbacks will be released with guaranteed money left behind by their old teams [Murray, Tua Tagovailoa, Geno Smith, Cousins et al.], veteran stopgaps might be available on dirt cheap deals for this offseason only,” Solak added.
Ben Solak Breaks Down Vikings Working Without a GM
Solak detailed the challenges, pitfalls, and road forward for the Vikings while navigating free agency and the salary cap after firing former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and not hiring someone right away.
“It’s generally not good to approach free agency without a general manager, as the GM is the person who … runs free agency,” Solak wrote. “Of course, the Vikings can backfill the role with the collective weight of their pro scouting department, the 30-plus years of experience from interim general manager Rob Brzezinski and some helpful nudges from a coaching staff that already had a ton of personnel influence. But still … having no general manager makes them tough to read.”
“The Vikings are also at a financial crossroads. Minnesota handed out a bunch of veteran deals over the past two seasons as it anticipated an ascension into contention behind McCarthy,” Solak continued. “With less than a week before the new league year, the Vikings are about $45 million over the salary cap ceiling.”
“With some aggressive restructuring and extending, the Vikings could kick the cap can down the road and keep some of their veteran talent in place,” Solak added.