In true Minnesota Vikings fashion, they won their final five games last season to finish above .500 when losing more games would've yielded them a nice, high draft pick. It's also fair to say if they'd had even average quarterback play, they might've won the NFC North.
In need of a course correction, the Vikings didn't spend a lot of money this offseason. But in their search for someone to compete with or usurp J.J. McCarthy on the quarterback depth chart, circumstances aligned to bring Kyler Murray in on a one-year deal for the veteran's minimum.
Murray is not without warts, but he has been a better quarterback than McCarthy and can open up different elements for Kevin O'Connell as a play-caller.
He should have little trouble winning the starting job, and he may quickly remove the veil of an open competition that is currently being maintained.
Kyler Murray mention on list of candidates for big-time honor also offers dream scenario for Minnesota Vikings fans
Murray was not among Moe Moton of Bleacher Report's top-five first-time MVP candidates for the 2026 season. But he did earn an honorable mention, without Moton even mentioning how wide receiver Jauan Jennings is now in the fold for the Vikings.
"Despite Kyler Murray's recent struggles on the field and with injuries, he's a talented two-time Pro Bowler who could be one of the league's best in the right situation. Still in his prime, the 28-year-old could benefit from a change of scenery.
With the Minnesota Vikings, Murray will play with two-time All-Pro wideout Justin Jefferson, a solid No. 2 receiver in Jordan Addison, and reliable pass-catching tight end T.J. Hockenson.Â
Moreover, head coach Kevin O'Connell has fielded a top-six passing offense in three of the previous four years. Murray could flourish with the Vikings' supporting cast on a team that competes for the No. 1 seed in the NFC."
Murray recapturing his previous form is the ongoing hope for anyone attached to the Vikings, whether that means being anywhere in the MVP conversation or not. His situation in Minnesota is certainly better than he had over his last few years in Arizona.
Pair the idea of something resembling MVP-level play from Murray with competing for the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs, as Moton suggested, and you have a dream scenario the most skeptical of Vikings' fans (which is nearly all of them) will have a hard time believing is plausible.
But if optimism among Vikings' fans can't feel overtly high in May, when can it?
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