Packers fans won’t be thrilled by Kyler Murray’s latest hype

While the Minnesota Vikings insist that there will be an open competition between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy for the coveted QB1 role—and make no mistake about it, the right to throw passes to Justin Jefferson on a weekly basis is as coveted as it gets—it's probably pretty safe to say at this point that Murray is the overwhelming favorite, as most seem to believe that McCarthy will need to have a truly special training camp to win his job back.

NFL oddsmakers certainly seem to believe that Murray will win the job, as he's been given an extremely favorable placement in the early betting odds for Comeback Player of the Year.

Truth be told, only one player currently sits in front of the seven-year veteran, and that particular player was always going to lead the list.

Minnesota Vikings QB Kyler Murray behind only Patrick Mahomes in early 2026 NFL Comeback Player of the Year odds

Here's a quick look at the top 10 in the early 2026 NFL Comeback Player of the Year odds, courtesy of the DraftKings Sportsbook.

As you can see, Murray sits in second place at +600, trailing only Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (+160).

So, you can see why what was said above was said, as Mahomes, who tore both the ACL and LCL in his left knee back in December, was always going to sit atop this list, as he is the face of the NFL after all, what with his three Super Bowl wins, three Super Bowl MVP trophies, and two regular-season MVPs and such.

It is a bit surprising, however, to see Murray sitting ahead of Green Bay Packers superstar edge rusher Micah Parsons, who suffered a torn left ACL of his own on the same day Mahomes went down.

Parsons, who may or may not be ready to go when the Vikings host the Packers in Week 1, has been one of the best defensive players in the league since the moment he entered the league back in 2021.

And despite missing the final few weeks of last season, he still earned a fifth straight Pro Bowl selection, a third First-Team All-Pro nod, and a third-place finish in the Defensive Player of the Year voting after racking up 12.5 sacks in his 14 appearances.

Murray, of course, was taken with the No. 1 overall pick in 2019 by the Arizona Cardinals and was a force early in his career, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year in a landslide and then earning back-to-back trips to the Pro Bowl in 2020 and 2021.

In the years since, though, injuries and inconsistency have hindered his career (J.J. McCarthy could say the same thing about his two years thus far as well), and while a foot injury was given as the reason why the Cards shut him down last year after just five games, most believe it was more of a soft benching, as it became clear that Arizona was ready to move on.

Murray may not have played his best football in those five games, but it's not as if he played poorly either, as he completed 68.3 percent of his passes for 962 yards with six touchdowns against three interceptions and added another 173 yards and a score on the ground.

Throw that over 17 games, and you've got a solid-enough kind of a stat line. Perhaps not one good enough to get the Vikings back into the playoffs or to win Murray the CPOY award, but certainly one better than Minnesota got from the blend of McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer this past year.

Only time will tell how this all plays out, but the fact that Murray got the placement he did on this particular list is at least something positive for him to see heading into this "open" QB battle.

All betting odds courtesy of DraftKings. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. The content in this article should not be considered betting advice. Gambling involves risk, and one should only gamble with funds that one can comfortably afford to lose. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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