Kyler Murray begins his first season with the Minnesota Vikings already facing questions about whether this year will be a comeback or a last stand.
CBS Sports contract analyst Joel Corry placed the veteran quarterback on a list of signal-callers at a career crossroads heading into the 2026 campaign. The column appeared Friday, less than 48 hours before Minnesota opens the season at home.
Murray signed a one-year contract for the veteran minimum of $1.3 million after the Arizona Cardinals released him in March. The Cardinals still owe him $36.8 million this year from his previous deal, which is why the Vikings could add him at such a low cost.
Corry did not mince words about how Murray’s time in Arizona ended.
“Murray was effectively benched for Jacoby Brissett, a journeyman backup quarterback, prior to going on injured reserve in Week 10 with the right foot sprain suffered five games into the 2025 season. Arizona’s offense operated more efficiently last season with Brissett at the helm,” Corry wrote.
Murray then won a training-camp battle with J.J. McCarthy, the 10th overall pick in the 2024 draft.
“Murray won a preseason quarterback competition with 2024 10th overall pick J.J. McCarthy. The Vikings narrowly missed the playoffs last season with a 9-8 record despite subpar quarterback play from McCarthy. Murray will be sitting in the driver’s seat if he proves to be a major upgrade over McCarthy because the contract he signed with the Vikings precludes him from being designated as a franchise or transition player next offseason,” Corry wrote.
Murray is 38-48-1 as a starter over seven NFL seasons. Since his most recent Pro Bowl in 2021, he has averaged 6.6 yards per pass attempt across the last four years combined.
Those figures help explain why some around the league see 2026 as a proving ground rather than a victory lap.
Murray will make his Vikings debut Sunday against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Kickoff is 3:25 p.m.
Green Bay will be without All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons, who is on the physically unable to perform list after knee surgery and will miss at least the first four games. The Packers finished 9-7-1 last season and made the playoffs.
Vikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said this week that preparing for Green Bay without Parsons “is a lot different.”
“I wish him well in his recovery, and I hope he’s fully healthy and ready to roll, but I’m glad we’re not playing him,” Phillips told reporters.
A win over a division rival would give Murray an early statement in a season that could shape his next contract. Minnesota’s offense features Justin Jefferson and other skilled playmakers who should give the dual-threat quarterback chances to create.
Murray’s deal includes a no-tag clause, so he will become an unrestricted free agent in 2027 no matter how this year goes. That structure raises the pressure on every start, beginning with Sunday.
If Murray stays healthy and produces at a higher level than McCarthy did a year ago, he will have a strong case for a bigger payday elsewhere. If he does not, the Vikings could be searching for another quarterback next offseason.
The opener against Green Bay is the first test of whether the former Heisman Trophy winner still has another act left.
