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The National Football League is an unforgiving league. The Minnesota Vikings quarterback room knows that fact all too well.
The high-profile trio of J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz and Kyler Murray, all former Top 10 NFL draft picks, have all seen others discard and dismiss them after early struggles in professional football. But each of them have shown flashes of ability, some more than others.
The most reliable of the quarterbacks stands as the likely Minnesota starter of the 2026 season. Kyler Murray comes in from Arizona as a former franchise quarterback. Not all Cardinals fans appreciated his time with the team.
The frustration with Murray revolved around lack of playoff success and a steep decline in late November or early December through the end of the year.
While some gloss over Murray's lack of supporting cast, the book on the former No. 1 overall draft pick has been that he cannot get it done when it counts. Now, he wants to prove that notion wrong with a better put together team in Minnesota.
D.J. Siddiqi of "Ratings" recorded Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell's thoughts on Kyler Murray's offseason and breakout potential in the upcoming season. Here's some of what O'Connell had to say about Murray's upcoming season with the Vikings.
“I think what he’s really done over seven years in the NFL is really maintain that dimension. But also, the growth, the way he sees the field, the way he can throw with anticipation, and ultimately where he’s at in his career is a unique time. ...
But at the same time, guys we’ve had a lot of success with different veteran quarterbacks at different stages of their career, whether it was Sam Darnold or Kirk Cousins, and now we want to do everything we can to provide Kyler Murray with a great opportunity and see what he can do with it."
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) scrambles out of the backfield against the Carolina Panthers at State Farm Stadium on Sept 14, 2025. Joe Rondone/The Republic-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The issue with the Cardinals is that most NFL fans may not be able to name three of the team's defensive players. To be fair, the unit was not that impressive to begin with. Arizona finished No. 29 out of 32 teams in total defense, which tells some of the story for Murray's time in Arizona.
Murray probably won't have that problem this year in Minnesota, where the Vikings run back much of one of the league's most suffocating defenses in 2026. Still, the pressure is on the new Vikings quarterback to prove he can win when it counts.
The Vikings and Murray will look to make a statement with a season-opening win over the Green Bay Packers in Week 1.
Continue reading...
The high-profile trio of J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz and Kyler Murray, all former Top 10 NFL draft picks, have all seen others discard and dismiss them after early struggles in professional football. But each of them have shown flashes of ability, some more than others.
The most reliable of the quarterbacks stands as the likely Minnesota starter of the 2026 season. Kyler Murray comes in from Arizona as a former franchise quarterback. Not all Cardinals fans appreciated his time with the team.
The frustration with Murray revolved around lack of playoff success and a steep decline in late November or early December through the end of the year.
While some gloss over Murray's lack of supporting cast, the book on the former No. 1 overall draft pick has been that he cannot get it done when it counts. Now, he wants to prove that notion wrong with a better put together team in Minnesota.
D.J. Siddiqi of "Ratings" recorded Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell's thoughts on Kyler Murray's offseason and breakout potential in the upcoming season. Here's some of what O'Connell had to say about Murray's upcoming season with the Vikings.
“I think what he’s really done over seven years in the NFL is really maintain that dimension. But also, the growth, the way he sees the field, the way he can throw with anticipation, and ultimately where he’s at in his career is a unique time. ...
But at the same time, guys we’ve had a lot of success with different veteran quarterbacks at different stages of their career, whether it was Sam Darnold or Kirk Cousins, and now we want to do everything we can to provide Kyler Murray with a great opportunity and see what he can do with it."
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Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) scrambles out of the backfield against the Carolina Panthers at State Farm Stadium on Sept 14, 2025. Joe Rondone/The Republic-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The issue with the Cardinals is that most NFL fans may not be able to name three of the team's defensive players. To be fair, the unit was not that impressive to begin with. Arizona finished No. 29 out of 32 teams in total defense, which tells some of the story for Murray's time in Arizona.
Murray probably won't have that problem this year in Minnesota, where the Vikings run back much of one of the league's most suffocating defenses in 2026. Still, the pressure is on the new Vikings quarterback to prove he can win when it counts.
The Vikings and Murray will look to make a statement with a season-opening win over the Green Bay Packers in Week 1.
Continue reading...
