Many are expecting Kyler Murray to bring out the best in the Minnesota Vikings. One year after quarterback play derailed their season, Kevin O’Connell expects Murray to be the baseline that can help get them back to the playoffs, and it’s why he defeated J.J. McCarthy for the starting quarterback job during training camp.
If Murray does his job, many expect that Justin Jefferson will reclaim his role as one of the best receivers in the game. But what many fans may not realize is that it could be Jefferson who gets the best out of Murray.
An example came during Wednesday’s joint practice between the Vikings and the Baltimore Ravens. According to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, Murray and Jefferson connected on a deep completion in the corner of the end zone before Jefferson ran through a double team for a touchdown. At the end of the play, Murray ran all the way to the end zone to celebrate with Jefferson.
This is just a play in a joint practice and not a game-winning touchdown in October. But if that play is an indication of O’Connell’s vision of “what could be.” It's a formula where Jefferson unlocks Murray and helps bring the best out of the Vikings as well.
Kyler Murray’s leadership is a big question as he joins the Minnesota Vikings
Even as Murray won the starting job, Vikings fans have a right to be skeptical. In his seven seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, he threw for 20,460 yards, 121 touchdowns and 60 interceptions, but he had a 38-48-1 record as a starter and never seemed like a legitimate threat outside of a 2021 season where he led the Cardinals to the playoffs.
Vikings fans also have their own recency bias toward Murray thanks to a 2024 matchup in Minneapolis. While Murray threw for 260 yards and a one-handed touchdown grab by DeAndre Hopkins, he was intercepted twice, which kept the door open just enough for the Vikings to score late and earn a 23-22 victory.
That performance and the lack of attention have made Murray’s reputation word of mouth, and those words have not been kind throughout his career.
An independent study clause in his first contract extension questioned his work ethic and was combined with a passion for video games that has been memed and even researched for its effects on Murray’s performance.
Former Vikings cornerback Patrick Peterson also criticized Murray’s body language and attitude, saying “Kyler Murray don’t care about nobody but Kyler Murray” on his “All Things Covered” podcast during the 2022 season.
“What I meant by my comment was when you’re a franchise quarterback, you have to carry yourself a certain way,” Peterson said via Seifert. “So if you’re having bad body language, pouting, moping on the sideline, what type of energy do you think feeds off to your teammates?
That’s what I meant about Kyler. He cares about himself because he’s not putting the team first. When you make a bad throw and you come off to the sideline, you’re dropping your shoulders, how do you think the defense feels? If our starting quarterback don’t have any energy, no fire, that we can win this game, how can we?”
Peterson mentioned he didn’t “have any beef” with Murray and that he “didn’t mean any disrespect.” But the damage had been done and fed into the narrative that he wasn’t a rah-rah or energetic leader.
Justin Jefferson’s leadership could bring out the best in Kyler Murray
This is where Jefferson could come into play. While Murray keeps to himself more often than not, Jefferson has charisma to spare.
His energy is infectious, and it’s a big reason why the Vikings haven’t cratered since O’Connell arrived in Minnesota, even after Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles tendon midway through the 2023 season and J.J. McCarthy struggled as the team’s starting quarterback last season.
Even as the Vikings were going through those issues, T.J. Hockenson stood out and heaped more praise on Jefferson, citing his impact in the locker room.
“Just being vocal, I think, is a huge thing.
I came here three years ago, halfway through the season, and, obviously, I knew who Justin Jefferson was, but I was also very honed in on the playbook, and so I didn’t really even talk to Justin for a few days.
And then I finally went up to him, and he was quiet. And now he’s very front and center, letting people know who he is, and [pushing] this team.”
That description could be a big thing when it comes to Murray. Tyler Dunne wrote in his two-part series titled "The Kyler Murray Project" that a former Cardinals staffer said he demands aggressive coaching.
While O’Connell has flashed some aggressiveness in the past, he doesn’t seem like the coach who would get in Murray’s face compared to a leader like Jefferson.
Judging by the play Murray made to Jefferson on Wednesday, it already appears that the process is playing out, and it could mean great things for the Vikings with him under center.
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