Kyler Murray has found a new home, at least for a year. The former Arizona Cardinals quarterback has joined the Minnesota Vikings. The 28-year-old on Thursday celebrated the move with a post on Instagram. ‘SKOL’ he wrote in the caption.
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A post shared by Kyler Murray (@k1)
This comes after Murray visited Minnesota to discuss a potential move, only days after being released. The Cardinals cut Murray when the new league year began Wednesday, despite owing him $36.8 million in guaranteed salary for this season.
JJ McCarthy warned
The Vikings have been exploring new options at quarterback as questions continue to surround the development of McCarthy, their first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Injuries and inconsistent play have complicated his early career, raising concerns about how long the team can wait for him to fully establish himself as the starter.
McCarthy missed his entire rookie season while recovering from knee surgery and then struggled to stay on the field in 2025. An ankle sprain, a concussion and a broken hand limited him to just 10 starts, with only eight games completed. Even when healthy, accuracy issues were noticeable enough that Minnesota began considering whether additional competition might be necessary.
Last season, the Vikings relied on Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer as backups, but neither provided long-term stability behind McCarthy. As a result, head coach Kevin O’Connell and the front office have acknowledged the need to strengthen the quarterback room heading into the 2026 season.
Murray gives them the option. Despite injuries and criticism of his preparation habits over the years, he remains a highly accomplished quarterback. The former Oklahoma star won the Heisman Trophy before entering the NFL and quickly made an impact, earning the Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year award. He was also selected to the Pro Bowl twice and has posted a 67 percent career completion rate while adding significant value as a runner with 3,193 rushing yards and 32 touchdowns.
Murray produced several memorable moments during his early seasons with Arizona, including the famous “Hail Murray” in 2020 when he connected with DeAndre Hopkins for a dramatic game-winning touchdown against the Buffalo Bills. The following year he threw for 400 yards in a Week 2 victory over the Vikings and helped Arizona start the season 10–2 before finishing 11–6.
That success led the Cardinals to sign Murray to a five-year, $230.5 million contract in 2022, including $160 million in guaranteed money. However, the relationship between Murray and the organization soon became strained. Shortly after the deal was finalized, Arizona removed a controversial clause that required the quarterback to complete four hours of “independent study” during game weeks, a provision that sparked widespread debate about his work ethic.
Murray’s tenure with the Cardinals was further disrupted by injuries. He suffered a torn ACL late in the 2022 season, which forced him to miss a large portion of the 2023 schedule as the franchise transitioned to a new coaching staff under Jonathan Gannon.
(With AP inputs)
Yash Nitish Bajaj
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More
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