The Minnesota Vikings named Kyler Murray as their beginning quarterback on Tuesday.
Signed to a one-year, $1.3 million deal within the offseason after being launched by the Arizona Cardinals, Murray is getting the nod over incumbent J.J. McCarthy. Murray will grow to be the fourth consecutive completely different quarterback to start the season for the Vikings, following Kirk Cousins (2023), Sam Darnold (2024) and McCarthy (2025).
“After some dialogue in-house and each day analyzing the general of the place we’re at proper now, we did title Kyler Murray as our beginning quarterback,” Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell stated. “… It has been a real competitors, and we really feel like we’re at a spot the place we made a whole analysis.”
O’Connell says he and new common supervisor Nolan Teasley met with Murray and McCarthy concerning the determination earlier than informing the remainder of the crew.
McCarthy was a first-round decide in 2024 who was elevated to the No. 1 job when Darnold left to signal with the Seattle Seahawks as a free agent previous to final season.
Quarterbacks Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer additionally stay on the Vikings’ roster.
Per O’Connell, each Murray and McCarthy will play in Minnesota’s preseason opener towards the New York Giants on Saturday.
Chosen with the highest decide within the 2019 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma, Murray was the Offensive Rookie of the 12 months in 2019 and made the Professional Bowl in his second and third seasons.
“There’s consolation from Kyler within the scheme,” O’Connell stated. “He had some actually excessive completion days the place he was in a position to present some actually, actually good understanding of simply placing the ball in play, taking part in with nice timing and rhythm. … As you proceed to have a look at the physique of labor actually by these 10 days, what jumped out is what might be.”
Murray, 29, performed a career-low 5 video games in 2025, ending the season on injured reserve with a foot damage. He threw for 962 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions with a career-low 173 speeding yards and one speeding rating.
He has performed a full common season simply as soon as within the final 5 years (2024). In 87 profession video games (all begins), Murray has a 38-48-1 document, finishing 67.1% of his passes for 20,460 yards, 121 touchdowns and 60 interceptions with 3,193 speeding yards and 32 scores.
McCarthy, the tenth general decide within the 2024 NFL Draft, additionally battled accidents final season in his first motion after lacking all the 2024 season with a torn meniscus.
McCarthy, 23, made 10 begins in 2025, finishing 57.6% of his passes for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 picks. He additionally ran for 181 yards and 4 scores whereas compiling a 6-4 document.
“(He’s an) extremely essential member of our quarterback room and our crew,” O’Connell stated of McCarthy.
–Subject Stage Media
