Vikings Name Murray Starting QB Over McCarthy
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- Kevin O'Connell named Kyler Murray the Vikings' starting quarterback over J.J. McCarthy on Tuesday, saying Murray had "shown enough" command of the offense to earn the nod after a rocky final stretch of practices including two interceptions in a full-pads stadium session Sunday.
- Murray, 29, signed a one-year, $1.3 million contract with Minnesota on March 12 after his release by the Arizona Cardinals, who will pay him $35.5 million; he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft, won Rookie of the Year, and made two NFC Pro Bowl teams before injuries derailed two of his past three seasons.
- McCarthy, the No. 10 pick of the 2024 draft and now 23, slides to the No. 2 role after losing his rookie year to a torn meniscus in his right knee and producing 10 underwhelming career starts; O'Connell said he "absolutely" believes McCarthy still has a future in Minnesota and that "he's holding the pen on his story."
- Both quarterbacks will play in Saturday's preseason game at the New York Giants, with the regular season opener set for Sept. 13 against the Green Bay Packers, giving Murray a full month of practice exclusively with the first-team offense before then.
- O'Connell highlighted Murray's accuracy, athleticism, smarts and work ethic, noting Murray demonstrated comfort taking snaps from under center — not just shotgun or pistol — as he adapts to a scheme that produced career years for Kirk Cousins (four-year, $180M Falcons deal) and Sam Darnold (three-year, $100.5M Seahawks deal, 2025 Super Bowl).
- The Vikings agreed to a contract clause prohibiting them from using the franchise tag on Murray in 2027, giving him a clear path to free agency next spring if he performs — the same launchpad Murray could follow that Cousins and Darnold rode into nine-figure contracts.
Why it matters: Murray, 29, has a one-year, $1.3 million deal with a no-franchise-tag clause for 2027, meaning a strong Vikings season sends him to free agency next spring on the same Kirk Cousins/Sam Darnold career-reset track that produced $180M and $100.5M contracts respectively. McCarthy, 23, lost his rookie year to a torn meniscus and now has no obvious path back to the starting job unless Murray gets injured — a stark outcome for a former No. 10 pick just 10 career starts into his NFL tenure.
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