Kyler Murray will spend 2026 with the Minnesota Vikings, whatever else the future holds for him.
That grants us cause for some celebration, I suppose. It brings to rest the unending winter churn of quarterback questions that have long been an inevitability for the Vikings. Acting GM Rob Brzezinski has made a decisive move — and, to be fair, an exciting one. The signing has tremendous upside and costs the Vikings a fraction of the money Murray will make as a veteran quarterback in 2026.
To unleash the full potential of this upside, Kyler Murray needs an elite running back to complete the offense Kevin O’Connell and his staff will design for him.
Now, it may seem like I’m looking to the west here, to Allegiant Stadium, to where the Las Vegas Raiders just signed a 24-year-old center named Tyler Linderbaum to a record contract for his position. His job is to be the bulwark for Fernando Mendoza, the projected first-overall pick, as he endeavors to become the Raiders’ next franchise quarterback.
To some extent, that’s exactly what I’m doing. The idea of employing drafts and free agency to prepare a team for a season – and perhaps put them in a position to make a key trade at the deadline – has long struck me as the most reasonable way to build a team. Away from big splashes and statement additions: The goal should be to build, to progress, and to take measured, deliberate steps towards a possible championship.
In 2026, the Vikings occupy a very different place in the NFL pecking order than the Raiders. And while Murray is a different kind of quarterback than Mendoza, he once seemingly occupied the same place in his draft.
The Arizona Cardinals drafted Murray first overall in 2019. A year prior, the then-Oakland Athletics made him the only athlete ever drafted in the first 10 rounds of both the NFL and MLB drafts. He signed a $4.6 million contract to play for the A’s. However, after a single Heisman-winning season as Oklahoma’s quarterback, he opted for commanding the backfield rather than patrolling center field.
Murray joins a Vikings team with a strong foundation. It has design and intention. Ownership is not rushing to replace its GM and is avoiding the temptation to overspend. Murray is a great fit for the moment. At 28, he has more experience and seasoning than even the most promising rookie. Even with a shaky front five in Arizona, he scrambles with the league’s elite:
Kyler Murray has totaled the 4th-most scramble EPA since entering the NFL in 2019.
Murray's 1,993 scramble rush yards are also 4th most in that span.
Check out https://t.co/WZDmtqSggw for more @Vikings offseason analysis. https://t.co/gTat1FqoWi pic.twitter.com/ujHq1zzNVV
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) March 12, 2026
The names above him on the list need no clarification; there are five MVPs among them. And during those seasons, their running backs primarily opened up their offenses.
James Cook ran for 1,267 yards during Josh Allen’s 2024 MVP season. In 2023, after J.K. Dobbins tore his ACL in week 1, backup Gus Edwards got within 10 yards of a thousand as de facto RB1. And in 2022, after being named the starting running back in Week 7, rookie Isiah Pacheco carried the ball for 830 yards in only 11 starts.
Last year, the Vikings finished 23rd in rushing. Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason combined for 1,306 yards despite the Vikings coming within one win of another NFC North title.
With Murray ending the quarterback uncertainty, Minnesota’s priorities narrow. There remains the question of strengthening the secondary to pace the NFC. O’Connell must decide if the too-often-injured offensive line can 1) stay healthy, and 2) if consistent, fulfill their potential.
With a chance to bring out Murray’s potential, an exciting player who grew up a Vikings fan, the time is now to plan for — or acquire — a thousand-yard back to unlock it.
Other championship-builders are already on the move. The Kansas City Chiefs just swiped Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III with a massive three-year deal. The move echoes the Philadelphia Eagles’ addition of Saquon Barkley two years ago. In his first year with the Eagles, Barkley cracked the all-time top 10 for single-season rushing with 2,005 yards (the eighth-highest total ever). Notably, his quarterback, Jalen Hurts, did not win the league MVP. Hurts settled for different hardware.
The Super Bowl LIX MVP and the right to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.
With the draft approaching, the Vikings should consider using their 18th pick on one of the riskiest positions in all of sports. There’s very little chance that Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love will still be around, but some possibility remains that his teammate Jadarian Price might be. However, 18th overall seems rather early for a college backup.
Particularly interesting is the low valuation of Indiana’s Roman Hemby, who isn’t projected to go until Day 3 of the draft. He’s faulted for being easier to track and poor pass protection, but has improved every year of his collegiate career. Some are already calling for Hemby to back up Walker in Kansas City, or Josh Jacobs in Green Bay. USA Today’s Andrew Harbaugh has already written about the potential get for the Vikings should they draft him.
The Vikings’ interim leadership must consider these options, or invent others, in service of a long-term team design. Management cannot view Murray’s addition as a one-and-done unless things go terribly, disastrously wrong. Even J.J. McCarthy’s inconsistency couldn’t keep Minnesota’s solid foundational play from challenging for a division title.
With an elite range of receiving targets and a defense to keep him on the field, Kyler Murray can quickly become the centerpiece of the offense the Vikings have so desperately needed. Now is the time to prepare, to plan, and to build. We have plenty of examples of what elite RB1 play does to empower a quarterback to lead his team deep into the playoffs.