As the Vikings navigate free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft, bringing in players from the pro and college ranks, we're taking a deeper look at newcomers' games — the ways they've stood out; why their fit with Minnesota makes sense; and what was said about them in early evaluations, and more recently. These features are intended to present the skill sets and backgrounds of players new to the Vikings fan base.

Overview

One of the most-discussed transactions in free agency that Minnesota has executed — in recent memory, at least — entailed an all-day visit March 12 and evening contract signing of Kyler Murray, the 2019 No. 1 overall draft pick by Arizona, who is joining the Vikings after seven seesawing seasons with the Cardinals. While the beginning of Murray's career saturated the atmosphere with fireworks, his performance post-2021 has wobbled due to injuries and coaching turnover. The Offensive Rookie of the Year for his class, Murray was named to the 2020 and 2021 Pro Bowls. He has accounted for 153 total touchdowns over 87 starts. The Approximate Value (a single number attached to every player-season since 1960 by Pro Football Reference) of Murray's career is 80, which is 11^th among QBs from 2019-25.

Flashing on film

In 2018 at Oklahoma, Murray was a .296 hitter with 26 extra-base knocks and 47 RBIs, as well as a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback who passed for 4,361 yards, ran for 1,001 and scored 54 total touchdowns. By golly, what did he eat for breakfast?! Murray's athletic excellence is unrivaled in a sense; he's the only person in history to be selected in the Top 10 of the NFL and MLB drafts (the A's picked the two-sport star 9^th overall in 2018). Murray, of course, ended up choosing the pigskin over the horsehide.

Seven trips 'round the pro football calendar later, and Murray is a Viking, like he was in his youth, and could be tasked, pending a QB competition this spring and summer, to lead Minnesota's offense in 2026. That recourse is fascinating because 1) the incredibleness of his career so far is understated, and 2) his coupling-up in Kevin O'Connell's offense might contrast systems in which he's flourished the most so far.

Murray is one of three NFL players all-time, along with Cam Newton and Josh Allen, to record 20,000 yards and 120 TDs passing, and 3,000 and 30 rushing, within their first 90 games. Murray is diminutive but dynamic. He's been scarred by several lower-body injuries that forced him to miss 21 contests since 2023 but is very much in the prime of his generational-athlete lifespan. His chance to climb atop the depth chart is doubly intriguing because he doesn't perfectly align with the mold of recent Vikings quarterbacks. External prognosticators, as a result, have noted that some of Murray's sharpest work in the league has hinged on magical ad-libbing. That predisposition indicates that his adoption of O'Connell's system, which is big on footwork and timing, will get microscopic treatment — every single layer picked apart, day after day and rep after rep. But even if performing outside of ideal structure is Murray's niche, he has a bundle of strengths that are scheme agnostic: namely, accuracy and arm power.

Accordingly, here are three moments Murray embraced the pocket and spun a brilliant "touch" pass:

Note: A foot injury caused Murray to miss 12 games last season, so we are pulling plays from the 2024 and '25 seasons in the subsequent film review to properly capture the best-of Murray in a wider window.

1. Into the birdhouse

The AI overview of a hasty internet search delivered us the news that common sizes for birdhouse entrance holes range from 1 1⁄8 inches for small wrens and chickadees to 1 1⁄2 inches for bluebirds. Murray made those dimensions work for the "Redbirds" in Week 4 last season, threading the needle with impeccable loft to Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison, Jr., for a 16-yard touchdown on a corner route with 5:55 left against the eventual kings of the animal — er, football — kingdom, Seattle Seahawks. On a second-and-goal from the 16, less than a minute after losing 7 yards on a sack, Murray began to engineer a 14-point comeback (Arizona tied the game at 20-all with 33 seconds remaining but was defeated on a walk-off field goal). He took a shotgun snap, scanned right, then worked back to the other side, targeting Harrison as the son of his Hall of Fame namesake bent his route to the left-middle of the end zone. There was never clear separation; no room to lead Harrison toward the out-of-bounds line without risking Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon turning his head and making a plea for the ball; and less space to throw Harrison a back-shoulder pass with Seahawks safety Coby Bryant lurking inside. And so Murray put it where only Harrison — or supposedly a chickadee — could get it, flicking his wrist and striking an entry that let him climb the ladder and "Moss" the Second-Team All-Pro corner Witherspoon. 'Twas a big-time throw in a very big-time moment with an impossibly tiny margin for error.

2. With inches to spare

Arizona finished 8-9 in 2024, and Los Angeles won the NFC West with a 10-7 record before ousting Minnesota in the Wild Card Round. But in Week 2, two seasons ago, the Cardinals beat the Rams, 41-10, thanks primarily to 325 yards of offense and three passing TDs from Murray. His first one was an arcing, heart-stopping deep shot clenched by Harrison along the back of the end zone — one painted letter to the left of the goal post — and it acted as the catalyst of the divisional smackdown. Different from the Murray-Harrison connection already mentioned, this one involved Murray surveying half of the field and aiming the rock a few yards in front of his receiver; Murray's anticipation enabled MHJ to run to the post underneath the pass while creating maximal separation. In slow motion, it looked like a rep "on air" (without a defense). As Harrison crossed the 10, the ball-tracking exercise commenced, and Murray was "money." His throw sailed over the outstretched arms of Rams CB Tre'Davious White and bucketed into Harrison's body as he coolly dragged his toes to crown an all-around brilliant 23-yard TD. It was a picturesque amalgamation of Murray's timing, touch and his trust in his top receiver to make the play.

3. On top of Fred's head

Bear with us here. If there's one thing I've learned watching Justin Jefferson since joining the Vikings Entertainment Network in 2024 (not to mention studying every single one of his catches in the leadup to him tying Larry Fitzgerald as the youngest player in history to record 500), it's that he is at his best over the middle of the field. Jefferson's silky-smooth route-running is lethal everywhere, but especially on in-breakers, and the deeper down the field, the better. Anyway, if there's one thing I've learned watching two seasons worth of Murray throws that traveled 20-plus yards in the air, it's that his touch is magnificent on corners, posts, verticals, and over the middle of the field. What is probably Murray's finest MOF pass since 2024 occurred in Week 18 that year, with 16 seconds until halftime against San Francisco and the Cardinals attempting to avenge a game-tying TD drive geared by then-49ers backup and former Vikings (and Cardinals!) QB Joshua Dobbs. From Arizona's 30, Murray took a shotgun snap, bounced in the pocket as three players sprinted into deep patterns and then uncorked a 20-yarder to WR Zay Jones, who was running into a void — technically open, but not by much. Murray's pass met Jones in the space between sinking 49ers linebacker Fred Warner, and prowling safeties Ji'Ayir Brown and Talanoa Hufanga. The perennial All-Pro Warner, who vertically jumped 38.5 inches at the 2018 combine, did his best to get sky high and interrupt Murray's trajectory — but to no avail. It was 25 yards of blissful touch.

Now, here are three instances of improvisational quarterbacking that separate Murray from many peers:

1. Not your ordinary checkdown

Murray started 2025 with a bang, playing well in wins over conference opponents New Orleans and Carolina. His shining moment in the former spanned 10 plays and 71 yards, good for an Arizona touchdown drive in the final five minutes of the first half that locked up a don't-look-back, tie-breaking advantage. And Murray's sharpest six seconds, arguably, was a dump-off to Cardinals catch-everything TE Trey McBride. On third-and-12 from the Saints 45-yard line, Murray grabbed a wayward shotgun snap and sensed the impending doom of defensive end Carl Granderson barreling down on him. Gauging his best way out, Murray scuttled side-to-side and bolted to the top of the pocket, leaving the pressure in the dust. Rather than fleeing, though, Murray preserved the integrity of the play, keeping his head up and on the lookout for a receiving option past the sticks. In a timely fashion, he found his guy McBride. Murray zipped a cross-body throw a few feet outside the left hashes and just beyond the marker as LB Demario Davis nailed his non-throwing shoulder. McBride did his job and gained more than 10 yards after the catch before Arizona went ahead 17-10 three plays later. The Cardinals didn't waver in their 20-13 win. It hardly represented Murray's greatest pitch — or his most electric — but it showcased his instincts, super-twitchy reactiveness and his commitment to staying alive on a crucial down and distance.

2. Cool, calm & collected in chaos

Red-hot is too weak a description of Murray's temperature in the aforementioned Week 2 thrashing of Los Angeles in 2024. On absolute fire is more appropriate — 17-for-21 passing, 266 yards, three "tuds" and no giveaways is deserving of such flattery. For the sake of spreading the wealth, so to speak, this will be the last time we rewind to that game. Actually, the second-to-last! Two Houdini-like completions are worth the potential divisional fatigue. OK, we digress. The first bout of genius playmaking occurred with Arizona holding a 14-zip lead and the Cardinals offense dealing with a third-and-5 from inside its 20. Murray collected a shotgun snap and telegraphed his intent to ace a Cover-2 hole shot to Harrison — except, the initial picture was blurry; Harrison strained through a jam at the line by White and the Rams pass rush executed a copybook twist that confused Arizona's front five and unleashed DT Braden Fiske onto Murray. But there were greater odds of Fiske catching a chicken. Murray half-spun to his left, looped for depth and distance from OLB Byron Young, who charged frantically at him, and then stutter-stepped with the aim of pausing Young's attack. It worked. Murray earned an extra half-yard to operate then flipped his hips into an off-kiltered throwing platform and loosed over the top up the sideline to Harrison, who stayed in the Cover 2 hole until S Kamren Kinchens abandoned his post to join the chase for Murray and then progressed his route. Murray got the ball to Harrison for a 32-yard pickup despite fading away on his release. The moment melted together Murray's elusiveness, plus his pure arm talent.

And now, a dose of unscripted déjà vu. Near the top of the second frame against L.A., ironically on a third-and-5 again, Murray performed another half-spin to evade a wicked rush from OLB Jared Verse and then climbed the pocket and danced to his left, all the while maintaining his eyes downfield so that he could subvert the Rams defensive front and secondary. As if he rehearsed the unrehearsed movements, Murray pivoted his escape into a stance, reset his feet, and lasered a beam to TE Elijah Higgins streaking across the back of the end zone. Brazenly, Murray turned from the action and raised one finger in the air at the exact time Higgins slid to his knees and guaranteed the spontaneous deed was rewarded with six points. It seems like we've seen Murray in this form before — stylishly slippery and unbelievably skilled.

3. Problem-solving under pressure

In Week 8 of the 2024 slate, Murray played lights out at Miami, fulfilling a nine-point comeback in the fourth quarter that sealed the second of four consecutive Cardinals victories. Two plays really popped in terms of his playmaking. The first was a pass in the low-red area that required Murray to dodge CB Jalen Ramsey, who screamed off the defense's left edge and appeared ready for a "freebie" sack. Murray said not so fast and veered to his right. Like he tends to do, he maintained his full-field vision and spotted WR Michael Wilson alone in the end zone. Murray nonchalantly weaved back left, turned his body to face his target and lobbed a catchable pass to Wilson for six from 6 out. How it all looked — easy — was not by design but achieved through Murray's composure while an eight-time Pro Bowler had him dead to rights.

The second spectacle that encapsulated Murray's rare abilities on the move was a 22-yard dart to Harrison halfway through the final stanza, which spurred momentum for an Arizona TD that loosened Miami's stranglehold. In this scenario, Murray gathered a shotgun snap, play-faked and had to press the gas pedal and roll hard to his right to protect himself from Dolphins LB Jordyn Brooks, who fooled Cardinals RB James Conner by whipping out a finesse move on a blitz. Murray was left out to dry once Conner ducked his helmet in pass protection and Brooks poured into the backfield, but his poise persisted. Murray sprinted for the numbers like they were his refuge and let the football fly as soon as Harrison was in his peripheral vision after starting on top of the numbers on the other side and working across the grid. The 6-foot-3 receiver practically caught Murray's roped throw in stride. Amazingly, there was no lower-body force factoring into his pass; Murray got it to go where he wanted with his arm alone.

Lastly, here are three examples of Murray beating defenses to a discombobulating degree with his legs:

1. Carolina's cold pursuit

Six Panthers defenders had the chance to tackle Murray. The closest they got was a hand swipe across his nameplate. In Week 2 last season, Murray ripped off a 30-yard rush on a first-and-10 from Carolina's side of the 50. He overcame imminent pressure; he swiveled away from a swarm of blue-legged bodies; he reversed fields and dashed into the future, speeding past everyone and their mothers until he took a respite out of bounds. Murray's acceleration stood out. So did his vision. His change of direction, as well.

2. Biding time at Buffalo

Murray had a banger of a run on a third-and-7 with time dwindling in the third quarter of Arizona's 2024 season opener at Buffalo. Lined up at the Cardinals 33, Murray dropped back 10 yards and hopped in place before saying what the heck and scrambling left. Realizing that one or more Bills defenders were plastered to each of his receiving options, Murray rounded the corner and summoned his best side-step juke move to wipe out three would-be tacklers. He wiggled for about 15 more yards for 29 total, shaking-and-baking toward Buffalo's bench. It was evidence Murray has some uncanny instincts in the open field.

3. Finger to sky at the 45

Murray's propensity to run has pretty much held firm through his pro evolution — he peaked at 8.3 rushes per game in 2020, accounting for a career-high 819 yards at a 6.2-yard clip; and two years ago, ran his fewest times (4.6 a game) but produced his top average (7.3 yards per attempt). Overall, Murray has tucked it himself for 6.1 carries and 36.7 yards per game. He has exceeded the 50-yard threshold in 24 outings, with five in 2024, including when Arizona squeaked out a divisional win in Week 5 at San Francisco. Awesomely, it only took him one rush. On the Cardinals' second offensive play, Murray hurriedly clapped his hands to signal the snap, faked a handoff into the jaws of the defense and burst to his right on a QB sweep. Getting the intended look — 49ers DE Nick Bosa crashed down to neutralize the prospect of a RB dive, and Hufanga bit on the disguise, deserting his duty as the last line of defense — Murray followed super blocks from Higgins and McBride, sprinted into a crease and was off to the races. Reveling in the perfection of the rep, Murray scurried past the 45 and lifted his index finger to the sky. He topped 20 miles per hour, according to Next Gen Stats, en route to an unscathed touchdown. The sheer speed could add a dynamic for the Vikings, considering their running backs have logged two such explosive runs (20+ MPH) since 2024; Murray had two himself that year, and he's logged 15 in his career.

Fitting with Minnesota

Touchpoints between O'Connell and Murray include the prestigious Elite 11 quarterback camp when Murray was building his résumé as one of the top players in Texas High School football history, as well as the NFL Scouting Combine when O'Connell was the offensive coordinator for Washington and he met with Murray, who was long gone by the time the NFC East club was on the clock. The familiarity between KOC and K1 also includes six opposing matchups in the regular season — four while O'Connell served as the Rams OC — and one in the playoffs that pitted Murray against Super Bowl LVI Champion Los Angeles.

Murray went 0-2 in road games against O'Connell's Vikings in 2022 and 2024. He passed for volume in both instances, completing 31 throws in each contest at U.S. Bank Stadium on 44 and 45 attempts. In total, he was responsible for 640 yards of offense, with as many passing touchdowns as interceptions (4).

Beyond the obvious dual-threat talent and his good-natured rapport with O'Connell, there are multiple areas of Murray's game that automatically harden the status of Minnesota's quarterbacks room, which consists of J.J. McCarthy and Max Brosmer, who each made their NFL debuts in 2025, and savvy vet Carson Wentz. When healthy, Murray can accurately target every blade of grass; he can deliver precise passes with touch/sizzle; he has bewildered defenses in clutch situations; and he's tough to corral on the move, whether it's via designed rushes or impromptu scrambles, thanks to special vision and foot speed.

Tightening the scope of the fit to a rudimentary level, it's an easy one to comprehend. Minnesota wanted a deeper, more competitive QB group in 2026 (three Top 10 draft picks are in that room now). Murray will turn a ripe 29 years old on Aug. 7. There is reason to believe his best football is ahead of him.

Evaluation circa 2019

Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Media ranked Murray his 11^th overall player and wrote: Murray is an extremely explosive quarterback prospect who lacks the ideal height/bulk for the position. He has extremely quick feet in his setup and bounces on his toes at the top of his drop. He has dynamic arm strength and doesn't need to grind his toes in the ground to generate power. He isn't as accurate as Baker Mayfield, but he flashes the touch to layer the ball on occasion, accompanying the "wow" power throws. The majority of his decisions are made pre-snap; otherwise, he resorts to scrambling around and buying time. There are examples of him working deeper into progressions, but that will still be an adjustment for him at the next level. He is an electric runner, using a quick/choppy stride to eat up ground. I had two major issues early in the evaluation process, but his full-time commitment to football and surprising bulk at the combine (207 pounds) helped alleviate those concerns. Overall, I see Murray as a solid starting NFL quarterback.

Murray compiled a 38-48-1 record for Arizona (plus 0-1 in the playoffs) after it used the top pick on him.

Best-of 'X' reactions

One bonus thought

Murray's stature is not insignificant — Carolina's Bryce Young and Murray are the only quarterbacks listed at 5-foot-10 or shorter to start a game since Doug Flutie in 2004, and Galen Hall (AFL) and Eddie LeBaron prior to that in 1963 — but to argue that height has stopped Murray from realizing his potential on the gridiron is a miscast trope. A more factual take is Murray's sightline has invited him to harness skills that QBs expend substantial effort to master: quick dissection of coverage and resolution of blitzes, rapid release rate, and the utilization of unique arm angles. Murray documented an average "Time to Throw" of 2.68 seconds in 2025; 2.81 in 2024; 2.80 in 2023; 2.65 in 2022; 2.77 in 2021; 2.74 in 2020; and 2.73 as a rookie (h/t Next Gen Stats). Furthermore, Murray's career passer rating versus the blitz is 81.9. He has averaged 11.6 yards per completion facing an extra hurdle, and he boasts a 45:20 TD-to-INT split.

We're not alleging Murray isn't inherently disadvantaged by his size — his 82 batted passes are second most to Baker Mayfield's 103 since 2019, per Pro Football Reference. If you remove Murray's career-high 18 as a rookie, however, his percentage of passes batted dating to 2020 is closer to the likes of Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts. The takeaway? Some parts of Murray's unique skill set are a function of his size.