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(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
The Minnesota Vikings signed QB Kyler Murray earlier this off-season to a veteran minimum deal.
The agreement serves as a true insurance policy for Kevin O’Connell and his job security for 2026 and beyond. They knew they couldn’t just give J.J. McCarthy the keys this season after what happened in 2025. It was a year of injuries and incredibly inconsistent play, and Minnesota can’t bank on that to win games now.
Not only does Murray provide insurance, he also arguably provides a much higher upside for a Minnesota offense needing stability.
However, there are no guarantees in the NFL. And if the Vikings’ 2026 QB plan doesn’t work out, they may be right back in the market for one in 2027.
GettyCHICAGO, ILLINOIS – SEPTEMBER 08: J.J. McCarthy #9 of the Minnesota Vikings talks with head coach Kevin O’Connell and quarterbacks coach Josh McCown against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on September 08, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
In a recent way-too-early 2027 mock draft, Vinnie Iyer of Sporting News tied the Vikings with a star college QB from Ohio State.
At the projected 10th overall selection in the 2027 NFL Draft, Iyer had the Vikings take Ohio State QB Julian Sayin.
“Will the Kyler Murray experiment work? He’s on a one-year deal as the team seems to be giving up on J.J. McCarthy. Here’s saying it won’t pan out in the system of Kevin O’Connell, leading to the Vikings trying again with the Buckeyes’ best passing prospect in a while.”
It’s hard to say that Minnesota is truly giving up on J.J. McCarthy. While Kyler Murray is a great insurance policy, the Vikings haven’t officially given up on McCarthy until he’s not on the roster anymore.
It feels likely that one of Murray or McCarthy will workout in terms of team success. The more likely option of the two to lead Minnesota to more wins would be Kyler Murray.
GettyKyler Murray #1 of the Arizona Cardinals takes the field during player introductions before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at State Farm Stadium on September 25, 2025 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Abhimanyu Chaudary of PFSN recently shared words from PFSN’s Jacob Infante on Football Debate Club.
“As much as I hate to say it as a Bears guy, I’m going to say Kyler Murray to the Vikings. I mean, I look at it like Minnesota went 9-8 last season with terrible quarterback play. J.J. McCarthy finished 37th in the NFL in PFSN’s QB Impact scoring.
Kyler, on a smaller sample size, finished 21st, and he graded 11th in 2024, so I think if he can stay healthy, with Kyler throwing to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson, I think that’s going to boost both Kyler and Minnesota’s offense. And they’re only paying him $1.3 million this year, too. They upgraded at quarterback for super cheap.”
It’s hard to argue with the logic, as Murray could be viewed as an immediate upgrade. It’s assumed that Murray will be the starter Week 1, which would immediately raise the floor of a Vikings offense needing to win now.
Brevan Bane Brevan Bane is a sports scribe covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Minnesota Vikings and Cincinnati Bengals. Brevan began his writing career by making a platform on Twitter and leveraging his presence into writing and content creation opportunities for outlets like PurplePTSD, Vikings Territory, The Noise, Hockey Wilderness, and the VikesNow YouTube channel. You can follow him on X @brevmanbane. More about Brevan Bane
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