Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
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(Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
Kyler Murray is looking to bounce back with the Minnesota Vikings after the Arizona Cardinals decided to cut ties with the former No. 1 overall pick this offseason.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has played a role in Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones bouncing back, and now Murray wants to be the next QB to benefit from spending time with O’Connell.
After a foot injury ended his 2025 season, the Cardinals decided it was time for both parties to part ways. On March 30, Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur spoke about Murray’s exit from Arizona.
“It’s one of those things that sometimes it’s just good for both parties to part ways, if you will,” LaFleur told reporters (h/tBo Brack of PHNX Cardinals). “So again, we wish him the best. He had a lot of success here.
“I know when I was on the other sideline, [Murray] was a problem. And again, wish him all the success, but we felt like this was the best thing moving forward.”
Murray turned in a 72.2 overall PFF grade during the 2025 season, placing 22nd out of 43 qualified quarterbacks, and his 69.5 passing grade landed in the same spot at the position.
Across 962 snaps and 195 dropbacks, he totaled 962 passing yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions. He logged four big-time throws against three turnover-worthy plays, pointing to generally steady decisions, even under pressure.
His average depth of target checked in at 6.4 yards, while he got the ball out in about 2.91 seconds. He also contributed on the ground with 145 scramble yards and a rushing score, finishing with a 71.4 rushing grade.
Kyler Murray Gets Concerns Over Being Vikings Starting QB
Before any snapsare taken, Murrayis seen as the favorite for the starting job. However, former Vikings linebacker Ben Leber doesn’t see it that way, as he raised a few concerns.
“Kyler probably, in their mind, is on top of the depth chart, but as I look at it right now, I don’t think you can say that,”Leber said during an appearance on KFAN on March 23. “The guy has so many question marks. Kyler Murray, speaking of, has so many question marks about whether or not he can fit within this offense.
“There’s going to have to be a compromise from KOC in the plays he calls and the type of style he wants from his quarterback. There’s also going to have to be a measure of movement with Kyler Murray in what he can actually do in this offense. The amount of under-center plays that Kyler Murray has faced in his first seven years in Arizona is a fraction of what [O’Connell] wants.”
Can Kyler Murray Play Under Center for Minnesota?
Moreover, Leber went into detail regarding his concern regarding Murray’s ability to go from mostly playing QB out of the shotgun in Arizona to playing under center in Minnesota.
“The amount of under-center plays that Kyler Murray has faced in his first, what, seven years in Arizona is a fraction of what KOC wants,” Leber added. “Virtually in the first five years with Kliff Kingsbury, it was something like 90 percent shotgun, 10 percent under center.When the new regime comes in, they go a littlebit moreof a pro-style offense, and they increase hisvolume of under-centerup to 25 percent.
“I looked at Sam Darnold’s year that he was here with us. I think he was under center 45 percent of the time. So if that’s the barometer, if that’s the new standard, the new KOC standard of this is where we want our quarterbacks to be. Look what Sam Darnold did. Well, we got to go from 25 percent under center to 45 percent, and we all know that’s not going to happen.”