Until the new league year kicks off on Wednesday, Kyler Murray is still officially an Arizona Cardinal.
After that? Well, the Minnesota Vikings have emerged as the favorite to sign the soon-to-be free-agent quarterback, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported Sunday on The Insiders.
The Vikings and Murray have been viewed as a stellar fit since the Cardinals informed the 2019 No. 1 overall pick he would be released. However, Pelissero noted that he expects the market to be a robust one for Murray's services.
"If you're Kyler and his agent, it makes a lot of sense to take advantage of this," Pelissero said. "He's never been a free agent before. He's not interfaced with a lot of teams and executives since he selected in the draft back in 2019 and for Kyler, who's going to be a free agent in 2027 after taking a one-year minimum deal this year it makes sense … to take his time and explore his options here before deciding to take the next important step in his career."
As noted by Pelissero, Murray is due $36.8 million in guarantees from Arizona in 2026, so it's expected that he'll ink a one-year pact with his next squad for a league minimum deal, just as Russell Wilson did when he joined the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024 after he was cut by the Denver Broncos.
The Vikings are looking for competition for 2024 first-rounder J.J. McCarthy. Thus, Murray isn't the only name who's been attached to them. Signing the likewise-soon-to-be-released Geno Smith and potentially trading for Anthony Richardson have also been possibilities rumbled about.
Should Murray join the Vikings, it would seem to be beneficial for a career turnaround for him considering he'd have Justin Jefferson as his No. 1 wide receiver and Kevin O'Connell, who's done wonders with Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold previously and also received great play in spots from Josh Dobbs and others.
It's also likely he would be a large favorite if the Vikings were to hold a QB1 competition with McCarthy.
Murray is coming off a season-ending foot injury that was more serious than originally thought and also seemed to be somewhat of a soft benching after veteran Jacoby Brissett outplayed him while filling in.
On Wednesday, Murray's officially on the free market for the first time in his NFL career.
Heading to Minnesota has all the makings of a prime landing spot in the waning days of his career as a Cardinal.
