It’s difficult to believe the stars aligned so brilliantly in the free agency sky for the Vikings this offseason.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray is embraced by Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell after an NFL preseason football game, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
A franchise put in a bad spot thanks to its own mishandling of the quarterback position was gifted a reprieve. Last season suggested even a baseline of competency under center would’ve been enough for Minnesota to push into the playoffs and beyond.
Unfortunately, the Vikings didn’t get it. And there was no guarantee it was going to be developed from the current roster options. That was a tight spot for a franchise without much in the way of financial flexibility to be in.
Usually, you have to pay up in free agency for even average play at the league’s premium position. Another year without capable play under center could have forced a seismic shakeup within the organization.
And yet Minnesota somehow stumbled into someone who could be much better than that – for effectively none of the cost.
The Vikings are going to potentially get Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback play next season, and the Arizona Cardinals are going to pay for it. What sounds like a Donald Trump campaign promise is Minnesota’s new reality after inking Kyler Murray to a one-year deal this week.
That might sound like an overstatement of Murray’s abilities. There’s a reason Arizona let him go this offseason. The last few seasons were tainted by injuries and inconsistency. Because of that, the quarterback wasn’t producing near the level required of his massive contract.
But we know that level is attainable, because he has reached it.
He did so the last time he was paired with an elite offensive mind. That was former Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury, who helped elevate Murray into the upper echelon of NFL quarterbacks.
In case you need a refresher, Murray was the seventh-best quarterback in the NFL in the 2021 campaign by ESPN’s total QBR and Pro Football Focus overall grade. PFF had Murray as the third-highest graded passer that season.
Kingsbury was fired following the 2022 campaign, and Murray’s results weren’t as prolific in recent years under offensive coordinator Drew Petzing’s tutelage. Murray battled injuries in 2023 and 2025. While playing a full season in 2024, he was PFF’s 12th-ranked quarterback.
If that doesn’t sound like much, consider now Super Bowl-winning Sam Darnold was graded as the 10th-best quarterback both in 2024 with Minnesota and last year with Seattle.
Murray is a far more accomplished reclamation project than the Darnold assignment Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell took on with great success two seasons ago.
Every year, Murray comes in above league average in on-target throw accuracy and, perhaps most importantly, ranked in the top seven in the NFL in limiting bad throws each season from 2021-2024.
Such responsibility under center would’ve done Minnesota wonders in 2025 – a season in which simply not hurting the team offensively would’ve been enough to win games given the team’s frequently dominant defense.
Accurate, experienced and mobile is a trio of traits that, if he’s worth his salt, O’Connell should be able to utilize to craft a scheme that can re-elevate Minnesota’s passing game back into the league’s top 10 next season, considering the weapons the team possesses on the outside.
Given Murray’s contract – he’s making $1.3 million this season – there is virtually no risk for Minnesota in this move. Even the “bad” version of Murray is leaps and bounds better than what the Vikings received in quarterback play last fall.
But the upside, if Murray does nothing more than returning to something resembling his early-career form, could be the ultimate prize.