Kyler Murray is hitting the open market soon, and the Minnesota Vikings will be near the top of the list for teams vying for his services.
Murray is a bit complicated. He’s a former No.1-overall pick who has dealt with injuries, a soft-benching, and bizarre contract clauses that forced him to pick up a playbook instead of a gaming controller. However, the question of whether or not to make him the next quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings is much less nebulous.
J.J. McCarthy’s future with the team is murky at best. While many still believe in his future, Minnesota has made it clear that they will be bringing in veteran competition. That list of candidates is unusually long, thanks in part to some bad contracts teams are getting out from under. Kirk Cousins, Geno Smith, Tua Tagovailoa, Murray, and potentially others could all theoretically be available for a veteran’s minimum this spring. But despite Murray’s uneven production and other baggage, Minnesota shouldn’t have to think too long about this one.
Let’s start with what Murray isn’t. He’s not a 37-year-old coming off an Achilles injury. He didn’t toss 32 interceptions over the past two seasons. And he doesn’t have a personal vendetta against Minnesota’s defensive coordinator. Score!
However, Cousins, Smith, and Tagovailoa offer a steady hand and a maturity that McCarthy or possibly even Murray won’t provide. But what are we even talking about here?
While Murray might have some volatility to his game, his talent and production when healthy are impossible to ignore, especially when the argument against him is that Kirk or Geno may be better scheme fits. If Kevin O’Connell can’t find a way for a quarterback who averages 4,620 total passing-plus-rush yards per 17 games for his career to work, then that’s more on him than Murray.
At 67.1%, Murray is the fifth-most accurate passer in NFL history, believe it or not. And while his deep ball won’t turn any heads, he can accomplish the most important job on offense this year.
Besides winning games, which is generally important, keeping Justin Jefferson happy is a huge aspect that’s been forgotten in all of this quarterback drama. And what’s the best way to do that? Get him the ball. Murray is more than capable and doesn’t come with concerns like Smith’s turnovers or Cousins’ inability to move more than three inches in any direction in the pocket.
Murray has also constantly faced criticism for his perceived lack of leadership, dedication, and overall attitude. Some of those concerns may be valid, and Murray and the Cardinals aren’t parading the streets of Glendale right now for good reason, but it isn’t because of any of those things. Not every first-overall pick ends up a Matthew Stafford or John Elway, and that’s okay. But after seven seasons, 23,000 total yards, and over 150 total touchdowns, it might be time to give up on the whole “Does Kyler Murray love football enough?” thing.
The Vikings will do their due diligence there, but there are no concerns off the field. Besides, this is a one-year experiment at no cost to the viewer. If Murray runs more COD than RPO and listens to O’Connell less than a teenager, then, sure, move on in 2027. But Murray’s production speaks for itself, and the idea that those past critiques might hold things up is ludicrous.
The same goes for his height. At 5’10” — maybe — Murray is one of the shortest quarterbacks in the NFL. It doesn’t fit the mold for what a typical Kevin O’Connell quarterback looks like. Still, Cousins and McCarthy did, and playoff wins aren’t just handed out to anyone over 6’3″. But after years and years of solid production in the league, it’s probably time to put the notion that Murray’s lack of size is holding him back to rest.
There are plenty of reasons for the Vikings to talk themselves out of Kyler Murray. From scheme to personality to injuries, the questions will come up. But if Minnesota wants to compete this year while getting another free year of McCarthy development, they’d be hard-pressed to find a better option.
Ultimately, if Murray had to be acquired via trade or at a significantly higher cost, the conversation would be different. But being able to get a player of Murray’s age, pedigree, and production for less than long snapper Andrew DePaola’s last deal is undeniably alluring. The Vikings are already rumored to have Murray near the top of their wish list, but if the opportunity arises to sign him, they shouldn’t have to think too hard about it.
