Rob Gronkowski has thrown his support behind Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray as a surprise MVP contender for the 2026 NFL season.
The retired tight end, widely expected to reach the Hall of Fame, made the call Thursday on Kay Adams’ “Up & Adams” show.
Gronkowski said he sees Murray’s move to the Vikings as the kind of fresh start that could change the quarterback’s career path.
“Kyler Murray has all the tools to be great; his athleticism, and he’s got a great arm,” Gronkowski said. “He’s in a situation where either he succeeds, or the NFL moves on from him. This is kind of a prove-it season, and he couldn’t be in a better situation to prove it this year. Kyler Murray has a chance to shine and show what he’s all about here in Minnesota.”
Opinions on Murray remain split as training camp gives way to the regular season.Some observers think last year’s struggles will follow him to Minnesota and that his play will drop off again.
Others argue Kevin O’Connell’s scheme and the talent around him give Murray his best chance yet to recapture his early-career form.
Gronkowski firmly belongs in the second group.
The Vikings surround Murray with one of the league’s strongest supporting casts. Justin Jefferson remains among the NFL’s top receivers. Jordan Addison has developed into a reliable second option. T.J. Hockenson provides a proven target at tight end, even if some question whether he still ranks among the position’s elite.
Minnesota also features a capable offensive line and a coach known for creative play-calling. Those pieces give Murray more help than he often had in Arizona.
The question now is whether he can rise above the league-average production that marked his later seasons with the Cardinals. Work ethic questions that followed Murray out of Arizona have not fully disappeared.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio said Wednesday that a source described Murray’s current habits in blunt terms.
The source said, “The starting quarterback [Kyler Murray] is showing up right on time, and leaving as soon as the bell rings.”
Showing up on schedule and leaving promptly may be enough to keep a starting job. It is rarely enough to enter the MVP discussion, even with elite teammates.
Murray still has time to change that impression before games begin to count. If he does, and if the Vikings claim the NFC North in a difficult division, Gronkowski’s prediction could look a lot less surprising by season’s end.
