The Minnesota Vikings have a new quarterback, signing Kyler Murray to a contract for the 2026 season, per Adam Schefter.
Murray was released by the Arizona Cardinals following six inconsistent seasons, making him a free agent for the first time in his career. While Murray has battled injuries and comes with some limitations, he still offers an intriguing upside that the Vikings would like to tap into.
However, Minnesota entered the offseason with significant cap issues, putting limitations on which quarterbacks they could target. Murray's addition to the free agency pool ended up being exactly what the Vikings needed, allowing them to sign a quarterback to compete with J.J. McCarthy for a fraction of a normal starter's salary.
Here's why the Vikings signed Murray to a minimum salary.
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Kyler Murray contract, explained
The Cardinals officially released Kyler Murray this offseason, but Arizona still owes the quarterback much of his 2026 salary. Murray was set to enter the fourth year of a five-year, $230 million contract, which put him at $46 million per season.
As part of his contract, Murray is due to make $36.8 million guaranteed from the Cardinals, who are also taking a significant dead cap hit by releasing him. Arizona could spread the dead cap over two seasons depending on how the team designates Murray's release.
Therefore, Murray doesn't need to take a big contract this offseason, knowing he is getting a hefty salary for not playing for the Cardinals. Instead, the quarterback chose to sign with a team that has a strong infrastructure on a light deal, allowing Minnesota to avoid further cap issues.
In many instances, these huge quarterback contracts have offset language that allow teams to recoup the salary the quarterback would make on another team. That is typically why these players sign for minimum deals.
Murray's deal includes a no-tag clause, per Jonathan Jones, which means he cannot be tagged by the Vikings after the 2026 season. He will have the chance to hit free agency after his one-year deal.
Other players who have signed similar contracts include Russell Wilson with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024 and Tua Tagovailoa with the Atlanta Falcons this year. Both players were released from huge contracts with their teams and were able to take minimum deals in free agency.
MORE:Why did the Arizona Cardinals release release Kyler Murray?
How much will Kyler Murray make in 2026?
Most of the money Kyler Murray will make in 2026 is set to come from the Cardinals. Arizona owes Murray $36.8 million this year, which makes up the majority of Murray's earning for the year.
The Vikings are signing Murray to a minimum-salary deal worth just $1.3 million, as Minnesota is taking advantage of the fact that Murray isn't trying to get the most money in free agency.
MORE:Meet Kyler Murray's ex-football player dad and the rest of the QB's family
NFL veteran minimum salary in 2026
Minimum salaries in the NFL depend on how long the player has been in the league. Here's a look at the minimum salaries for 2026, per Spotrac:
Service time Minimum salary
0 $885,000
1 $1.005 million
2 $1.075 million
3 $1.145 million
4 $1.215 million
5 $1.215 million
6 $1.215 million
7+ $1.3 million
Murray is about to enter his seventh season in the NFL, making him eligible to earn a minimum salary of $1.3 million.
MORE: How Kyler Murray can be Kevin O'Connell's next QB reclamation project