After being released by the Arizona Cardinals, Kyler Murray was signed by the Minnesota Vikings to the NFL minimum in a deal that one ESPN host believes could alter the league landscape
14:23 ET, 13 Mar 2026Updated 14:23 ET, 13 Mar 2026
Kyler Murray has joined the Vikings on the NFL minimum salary
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Kyler Murray has joined the Vikings on the NFL minimum salary(Image: Getty Images)
The Minnesota Vikings’ signing of Kyler Murray received remarkable praise with the move hailed as perhaps the “most consequential” transaction in the NFL in recent times.
The Vikings endured a difficult season in 2025. After letting Sam Darnold join the Seattle Seahawks, where he won the Super Bowl, J.J. McCarthy has played in just 10 NFL games since he was selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft and missed his entire rookie season due to injury.
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McCarthy suffered three separate injuries last season, causing him to miss seven games, and leaving the Vikings exploring other quarterback options. The Vikings have now added a veteran presence in Murray.
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Murray spent seven seasons with the Arizona Cardinals after being selected with the first overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft. Earlier this month, Murray learned he is set to be released by Arizona as the Cardinals avoid a $16.5 million payment that would have triggered on March 15; the franchise will still absorb a nearly $55 million cap hit owed to the quarterback.
Upon his release, Murray was no longer attached to the five-year, $230.5 million contract he signed in July 2022. This meant any NFL team could sign him to a new deal — and the Vikings moved for him.
Minnesota will pay $1.3 million of Murray's $36.8 million salary for 2026. For the 28-year-old, the Vikings provide an opportunity to revitalize his career — and former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum claimed the move could ripple across the league.
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Kyler Murray has been with the Cardinals since being selected first overall in the 2019 NFL Draft
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Kyler Murray has been with the Cardinals since being selected first overall in the 2019 NFL Draft(Image: Getty Images)
“This may be the most consequential transaction in the last five years in the NFL,” Tannenbaum said on ESPN’s ‘Get Up!’ “To get a starting quarterback at 29 years old, when you think about the cap at $300 million, and to pay a starting quarterback $1.3 million, that’s incredible value.
“And when you think about this: the team won nine games last year with really below average play between Max Brosmer, J.J. McCarthy, and some Carson Wentz. It’s amazing how impactful this move could be. If they win two more games and get to 11, they should win the division, and your quarterback is making the league minimum.
“Again, context is everything: starting quarterbacks are making upwards of $60 million, and look, I’m not saying he should be at the top of the market, but this is incredible value with a lot of high impact. If it doesn’t work out, there’s very little downside.”
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When healthy, Murray is still considered one of the league’s premier athletes at the quarterback position. However, he hasn’t been able to demonstrate that ability in recent seasons amid recurring long-term injuries.
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After missing just three games across his first three seasons combined, Murray suffered a torn ACL in Week 14 of the 2022 season that forced him to miss the remainder of the year and the first nine games of the following season.
In 2025, Murray suffered a foot injury in Week 5 and did not play for the remainder of the year. Then-head coach Jonathan Gannon opted to start quarterback Jacoby Brissett for the remainder of the season while Murray was placed on injured reserve.
Now, Murray will have arguably the best supporting cast of his NFL career, which started in 2019 when the Cardinals made him the No. 1 pick of the draft. He'll work with head coach Kevin O'Connell, tight end T.J. Hockenson, and receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.