Kevin O'Connell - Minnesota Vikings
Credit: Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings
There have been a bunch of deals reported since the NFL legal tampering period opened late Monday morning. None of them can become official until Wednesday afternoon, when the new league year opens.
But while other teams have been busy spending $1.5 billion in guaranteed dollars over the past 30 or so hours, the Vikings have sat back patiently. Outside of re-signing a few of their own players, the only unofficial move they’ve made so far is the pending signing of former Steelers depth cornerback, James Pierre.
MN Vikings + Kyler Murray continues to gain steam
Meanwhile, they are still in need of a quarterback. There have been multiple QBs rumored to be in play for the Minnesota Vikings. For weeks now, however, the most likely candidate has been Cardinals QB Kyler Murray.
We have yet to hear exactly which quarterback Kevin O’Connell prefers but, if the Vikings were hoping for anyone other than the 28-year-old former No. 1 overall pick… then they are quickly running out of options, especially after their other rumored top target Geno Smith was traded to the Jets Tuesday afternoon.
Trade: the Raiders are sending QB Geno Smith and a 2026 7th-round pick to the New York Jets in exchange for a 2026 6th-round pick, per ESPN sources. Smith returns to the team for which he started his NFL career for in 2013. pic.twitter.com/xp7gvXxYJf
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 10, 2026
To this point, Minnesota’s possible free agent quarterback signings are down to Murray, Kirk Cousins, Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson or Marcus Mariota… if you think that’s better than rolling the dice with JJ McCarthy and Max Brosmer again.
Meanwhile, Kyler Murray is running out of landing spots just as quickly as the Vikings are QB options. Now that the Jets are out of the picture, Murray’s list of 2026 employers is pretty much down to Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Indianapolis.
Of course, the Steelers have publicly vowed their allegiance to Aaron Rodgers yet again, and the Colts just transition-tagged Daniel Jones for $37 million. So how likely is it that Murray would land with either of those teams?
Murray to Minnesota feeling inevitable?
If Kyler’s options are realistically down to the Browns vs Vikings… then you can see why everybody is projecting him to Minnesota, even if nobody inside the Vikings organization is talking. Does that mean we can all buy our No. 1 Kyler Murray jerseys now?
While many players found their new home, there are still some looking for their next stop 📍@LRiddickESPN and @JFowlerESPN share their top five best avaliable players after day two of NFL free agency ✍️ pic.twitter.com/KuyDZslrcS
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) March 10, 2026
No, but it does make it feel more inevitable than ever, barring something going very wrong during their upcoming virtual chat, which will take place soon after he is released. Right now, that’s expected sometime Wednesday, after the start of the new league year.
The only certainty at this point, is that J.J. McCarthy won’t be the unquestioned Minnesota Vikings starter during training camp, after falling on his face last season.
Related: Vikings Blocked Rising Young Coach From Ditching Town
Kyler Murray is a former Offensive Rookie of the Year and two-time Pro Bowl selection. Across seven NFL seasons, he has thrown for more than 20,000 yards and 121 touchdowns.
Still one of the craziest plays I’ve witnessed.pic.twitter.com/P9uOkxKE30
— Darren Urban (@Cardschatter) March 3, 2026
It’s rare that a talent like that hits the open market. It’s unprecedented he gets paid $40 million from another team to leave, and thus can be had at the dirt-cheap price of $1.3 million for your team. Which, again, makes Murray to the Minnesota Vikings FEEL inevitable.
Mentioned in this article: Geno Smith Kyler Murray NFL Offseason
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