Kyler Murray Could Do Something No Viking Has Ever Done

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The big news of this offseason in Minnesota was the free agent signing of Kyler Murray. After a season of QB misery in 2025, something had to be done, and Murray heads to Minnesota after an injury-plagued final year in Arizona, hoping to revive his career. For those reasons, Murray has been predicted as a candidate for the 2026 NFL Comeback Player of the Year, which would be a first for the franchise.

A Healthy Murray Could Enter the Awards Conversation​

The Comeback Player of the Year was first voted for back in the 1960s, when it had a four-year run, before returning in 1998 and becoming a permanent fixture of the league’s end-of-season awards. During its run, no Minnesota Viking has ever won the award.

So what makes Murray a candidate to possibly end that drought? Simply put, it is coming into what could be an explosive offense on the back of an injury-hampered season, which makes him qualify as a comeback player.

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Nov 27, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) against the Los Angeles Chargers at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Bleacher Report recently published a list of surprise predictions for 2026 compiled by Gary Davenport. One of his predictions was both Pro Bowl honors and Comeback Player of the Year for the Vikings’ new quarterback. Here is what Davenport had to say about what Murray had to do to make that prediction come true.

To do so, he’ll first have to beat out J.J. McCarthy to start in the Twin Cities. Then he’ll have to try to recapture the form that saw him win Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2019 and make the Pro Bowl in 2020 and 2021. Beating out McCarthy shouldn’t be especially difficult—Murray has shown exponentially more upside in the pros than McCarthy has over two injury-marred years.

The tools are there for Murray in Minnesota—the Vikes have a decent offensive line and run game and Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Jauan Jennings are one of the better wide receiver trios in the league,

Murray is already a two-time (2020 & 2021) champion and has proven he can play at a high level in the league. At 29 years old when the season starts, there is no reason he shouldn’t be able to recapture that form. If he stays healthy, I don’t think there is much doubt he will win the starting job over JJ McCarthy, with people now even suggesting that McCarthy wants out of Minnesota.

The Kevin O’Connell Effect

Another reason to believe Murray is returning to form is his new head coach. Outsiders are asking whether O’Connell can have the same effect on Murray as he had on Sam Darnold a couple of years ago – if he does, hopefully Murray won’t be hoisting the Lombardi trophy with another team in 2027!

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Mar 30, 2026; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell during the 2026 NFL Annual League Meeting at the Arizona Biltmore. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.

There is plenty in favor of Murray succeeding in Minnesota, not least of all, having Justin Jefferson on the receiving end of his passes. Jefferson has proven himself QB-proof, managing to put up a 1,000-yard receiving season while playing with a trio of struggling QBs last year. He will be eager to get back to putting up the really big numbers we became accustomed to, and he can do that with Murray.

Jefferson has shown that if you throw him a catchable ball, he will come down with it more often than not. In Murray, the Vikings have the QB with the fifth-best all-time completion percentage – 67.1%.

The stars could be aligning for Murray and Minnesota, and it may well produce the Vikings’ first-ever Comeback Player of the Year recipient.

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