JJ McCarthy, Vikings
Getty
Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy
The Minnesota Vikings are in the market for a new quarterback to replace JJ McCarthy, or at least challenge him for the starting job, and players on the team have made their preference well known in that regard.
Dianna Russinni of The Athletic said over the weekend that multiple members of the Minnesota roster to whom she has spoken recently want the team to bring in Kyler Murray, who the Arizona Cardinals will release when NFL free agency begins this week.
The Purple Persuasion
A lot of Vikings players want to play with Kyler Murray đź‘€ @DMRussini with the scoops!
“He’s not the type of quarterback for Kevin O’Connell. Like, it doesn’t make sense to me when you see the type of quarterbacks he’s had success with,” Russinni told Ryen Russillo. “But I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. I think that’s an organization where I can tell you from talking to some players there, they want Kyler there.”
Kyler Murray Offers Vikings Huge Bargain in Free Agency
Kyler Murray
GettyKyler Murray of the Arizona Cardinals.
Those players may well get their wish, as the Cardinals will pay Murray in the neighborhood of $36 million in 2026 to play with a different team.
That means he will be available for the veteran’s league minimum of $1.3 million, as any contract he might sign below the $36 million threshold will only change the source of Murray’s income next season without actually increasing it.
Thus, even if Murray isn’t the typical mold of quarterback that O’Connell has worked and won with before, he is the most proven signal-caller headed to free agency and is available at the lowest possible cost.
That is an ideal outcome for the Vikings after they erased $46.6 million in salary cap debt and should have roughly $30 million to improve the roster once free agency begins in earnest on March 11.
Minnesota could effectively lock up Murray as early as Monday, when the league’s negotiating period opens and teams can start speaking with pending free agents still technically employed by other organizations.
Vikings Essentially End JJ McCarthy Era With Kyler Murray Acquisition if QB Has Even Moderate Success in Minnesota
Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
GettyArizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray.
The offseason began with the Cardinals intending to trade Murray, which would have been the ideal scenario for McCarthy.
The Vikings’ other options in free agency would have been players like Kirk Cousins or Joe Flacco, who fit the bill of short-term veterans who might have competed for the QB1 job in Minnesota and been viable starting options immediately if McCarthy struggled or suffered injury, both of which he experienced during his second pro campaign in 2025.
McCarthy could have also potentially faced competition from the likes of Anthony Richardson, whom the Indianapolis Colts granted permission to seek a trade during the NFL Combine in February.
But if the Vikings sign Murray, a two-time Pro Bowler with over 20,000 passing yards on his resumé and a dual-threat skill set that made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft, there is no competition coming and no debate necessary — Murray will be the starter.
If he remains healthy and succeeds, Murray will probably get an extension in Minnesota. Even if other options are available one year from now, the team can’t afford to let another quarterback walk after a successful season, which happened with Sam Darnold last spring before he went on to win a Super Bowl last month.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Media told the “Rich Eisen Show” on Friday that the Vikings are currently the favorites to acquire Murray.