Former No. 1 pick Kyler Murray agrees to deal with Vikings
After missing his entire rookie season due to a knee injury and failing to live up to expectations during the 2025 NFL season, J.J. McCarthy’s future with the Minnesota Vikings is up in the air, especially after they signed veteran quarterback Kyler Murray.
According to Kevin Seifert of ESPN, the Vikings have inked the former No. 1 overall pick to a one-year deal.
The Minnesota Vikings agreed to a one-year contract with quarterback Kyler Murray, the team confirmed Thursday.
For Murray, the deal provides an opportunity to revitalize his career, and for the Vikings, it allows them to elevate the quarterback play that largely doomed their 2025 season.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, who made it clear heading into the NFL offseason that he wanted to bring in a veteran to compete with McCarthy, shared his thoughts on signing Murray.
“It’s March,” O’Connell said. “We signed Kyler today. And what I can tell you is the goal of adding a talented player like Kyler to the room was to … create a world where guys are pushing each other and guys are by their own growth and development, or their own ascension, are not only just doing that themselves, but they’re creating a new standard and elevating that floor so that will benefit not only those players individually, it’ll benefit the collective group of guys in the room.”
Much like the Atlanta Falcons adding Tua Tagovailoa to compete with Michael Penix Jr., the pressure is on McCarthy moving forward in Minnesota, as Murray will almost certainly want to be the starter come Week 1.
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It’ll potentially be a make-or-break season for McCarthy while also possibly being what Murray needs to resurrect his career after a disappointing end to his stint with the Cardinals.
