Kyler Murray signs with Vikings: Veteran QB could revive Minnesota's passing attack

The Vikings signed quarterback Kyler Murray on Thursday, and he is expected to start for Minnesota this season. Coach Kevin O'Connell said Murray will compete with J.J. McCarthy for the starting job, but we expect Murray to be under center in Week 1.

Murray will earn $1.3 million from the Vikings this season, while the Cardinals will pay the remainder of his $36.8 million salary for 2026. His new deal prohibits Minnesota from using a franchise or transition tag on him next offseason, which will make him a free agent heading into 2027 if he wants.

We hope Murray can return to being a Fantasy starter while also lifting up the production for Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson. For now, Murray will focus on trying to beat out McCarthy for the starting job this year.

"Unless I'm confused in any way, shape or form, I don't believe we have to name one of those (the starter) currently," O'Connell said Thursday. "We signed Kyler today. And what I can tell you is the goal of adding a talented player like Kyler to the room was to ... create a world where guys are pushing each other and guys are by their own growth and development, or their own ascension, are not only just doing that themselves, but they're creating a new standard and elevating that floor so that will benefit not only those players individually, it'll benefit the collective group of guys in the room."

O'Connell said he spoke to McCarthy earlier this week about what to expect in free agency.

"He knew we were going to be adding somebody to the room," O'Connell said. "He knew that that didn't change anything about his mindset and focus on improving and attacking this offseason the right way. And I'm really proud of him for that and excited to get back on the grass and in the meeting room with him when that time comes."

McCarthy struggled in 2025 in Fantasy and reality. He was limited to 10 games due to multiple injuries -- he also missed all of his rookie season in 2024 with a knee issue -- and averaged just 14.7 Fantasy points per game. He passed for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, and he added 181 rushing yards and four touchdowns.

McCarthy will not be selected in most redraft leagues. If he wins the starting job, then he's just a late-round selection in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues.

Murray, on the other hand, is worth a late-round pick in all one-quarterback leagues and a mid-round selection in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues. He offers optimism -- for himself and the skill players in Minnesota.

Murray averaged at least 20.3 Fantasy points in each of his first four seasons before suffering a torn ACL in 2022. He returned in 2023 and still averaged 20.8 Fantasy points, but his production started to slip in 2024 at 19.9 points.

Then came last season when Murray was limited to five games due to a foot injury, and he only averaged 17.9 Fantasy points. The Cardinals decided to go in a different direction, and here we are.

But Murray will hopefully benefit from O'Connell's tutelage, and it will be great if Murray continues to use his legs. He averages 36.7 rushing yards per game in his career, with 32 rushing touchdowns.

Murray should also benefit from throwing to Jefferson, Addison, and Hockenson, which is the best receiving corps of his career. While Murray isn't the ideal quarterback to increase their Fantasy outlook, I'd rather have him under center than McCarthy.

In 2025, Jefferson was one of the biggest Fantasy busts when he averaged a career-low 11.9 PPR points per game. Things were going well for Jefferson early in the season because Carson Wentz was starting for McCarthy, who missed Weeks 3-7 with an ankle injury. Jefferson averaged 16.8 PPR points over that span, and no one was complaining.

But once McCarthy returned in Week 8, including two starts with Max Brosmer, everything fell apart for Jefferson. He averaged 8.9 PPR points per game over his final 10 games, and he only scored two touchdowns for the season.

I'm going to be optimistic for Jefferson with Murray, and Jefferson is worth drafting in Round 2 in all leagues. The hope is Jefferson performs with Murray like DeAndre Hopkins did in 2020.

That season, Hopkins was 28 and had 115 catches for 1,407 yards and six touchdowns on 160 targets in 16 games. He averaged 17.9 PPR points per game.

Hopkins was limited to 10 games in 2021, but he averaged 14.7 PPR points per game. And he averaged 16.8 PPR points per game in nine outings in 2022.

Jefferson, who turns 27 in June, is easily the best receiver Murray has played with since Hopkins. And the two will hopefully form an instant bond and have solid chemistry during the season. Prior to 2025, Jefferson never averaged fewer than 17.1 PPR points per game, so hopefully, he will return to that level.

Addison was also a disappointment with McCarthy last season, and their best game together was 10.2 PPR points in Week 14. Addison, like Jefferson, did better with Wentz, scoring at least 15.1 PPR points in all three starts together.

I'm optimistic for Addison with Murray, but he's never proven he could support two quality Fantasy receivers in the same year. That said, Addison is also the best No. 2 receiver Murray has ever had, and Addison averaged at least 13.0 PPR points per game in every year of his career prior to 2025. I'm willing to gamble on Addison as early as Round 8 in all leagues.

Hockenson is only worth drafting with a late-round pick in all leagues, and he has to prove to Fantasy managers he can return to his level of production prior to suffering a torn ACL at the end of 2023. In his first two seasons with the Vikings, Hockenson averaged at least 12.7 PPR points per game in 2022-23.

When he returned from injury in 2024, Hockenson only averaged 8.7 PPR points per game. He was 7.5 PPR points per game in 2025, and he struggled with all of Minnesota's quarterbacks last season.

Murray helped Trey McBride play at a high level in 2024 when he averaged 15.2 PPR points per game. But I don't expect Hockenson to perform like McBride at this point in his career. Most likely, Hockenson will be a waiver-wire addition in all leagues if he starts off the season playing well.

As for the running backs in Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason, the addition of Murray doesn't change much for their Fantasy value. Jones, who just restructured his contract to stay in Minnesota for 2026 (INSERT LINK HERE), is a flex option at best in most leagues. And Mason is a high-end handcuff.

All eyes are now on Murray, and he should beat out McCarthy for the starting job this season. Hopefully, he can turn his career around while also lifting up the Fantasy value for everyone else in Minnesota along the way.