The Kyler Murray era in Minnesota has officially begun.
The Vikings named Murray as their starting quarterback for the 2026 season, head coach Kevin O'Connell announced Tuesday.
Murray was in a battle with third-year pro J.J. McCarthy for the QB1 gig.
After being released by the Arizona Cardinals this off-season, Murray signed with the Vikings on a minimum deal.
The Vikings brought the veteran in to challenge McCarthy, their 2024 first-round draft pick whose injuries and inconsistency have raised the question of how long they can afford to wait for him to develop.
Murray has two Pro Bowl selections, a 67 per cent career completion percentage and has proven to be a dangerous dual threat with 3,193 rushing yards and 32 touchdowns over his first seven seasons in the league with Arizona.
He was limited to just five starts with the Cardinals last season because of a foot injury he suffered in Week 5.
Meanwhile, McCarthy will head to the backup role after struggling in 2025.
The Michigan product missed his entire rookie season due to injury in 2024, then started 10 games last season.
Minnesota went 6-4 in his starts, but McCarthy finished with just a 57.6 per cent completion rate and threw 12 interceptions compared to just 11 touchdowns.
The Vikings finished the season 9-8 and missed the playoffs.
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