Minnesota Vikings fans want to open the mystery box that is the quarterback box and figure out who is starting between J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray.
Most people believe Murray will be the guy to lead the franchise in 2026, but things still have to play out during training camp to see what happens. NFL.com writer Nick Shook believes that if Murray does start, he will be one of the players who should improve this season.
"Murray’s shift from Arizona to Minnesota isn’t quite the discovery of an oasis, but it’s certainly a better situation for the former No. 1 overall pick than the one he inhabited in the desert. After dealing with injuries and logging just five games in 2025, Murray is now playing under quarterback expert Kevin O’Connell and has the privilege of throwing passes to Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings and T.J. Hockenson in a stable offensive scheme that helped Sam Darnold post a career year in 2024. Yes, he’s going to win the job over J.J. McCarthy, and I believe he’ll form a beautiful partnership with O’Connell, the coach of a team that is a reliable quarterback away from a return to the playoffs. Expect Murray to become that quarterback and rebuild his reputation along the way."
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray should be in for a much better season in 2026
When Murray was on the field for five games last year with the Cardinals, he wasn't that bad, as Arizona went 2-3 in his starts. He completed 68.3% of his passes for 962 yards and six touchdowns to three interceptions, adding another 173 yards and one touchdown on the ground.
Injuries have been the biggest problem with Murray over the last four years. He has missed 27 games since 2022, with an ACL injury that year and his foot injury last season being the main reasons he lost reps on the field.
Everything seems to be all good with Murray as he performed well at OTAs and moved well with his foot. It's all about making sure he can stay healthy and beat out McCarthy for the starting quarterback job.
Murray may not be the type of quarterback that Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell has traditionally had, but he is one that Minnesota could really use. There are questions about durability on the offensive line, so a mobile quarterback like Murray makes sense to be able to use his legs more often.
There are still a lot of unknowns heading into the 2026 season for the Vikings, but if Murray can be the guy who made the Pro Bowl and got the Cardinals to the postseason earlier in his career, this Minnesota team could end up being very dangerous in the postseason.
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