The quarterback battle in Minnesota has reportedly come to a swift conclusion, as the Vikings have named Kyler Murray their new starter over former first-round pick J.J. McCarthy, per ESPN. Head coach Kevin O'Connell informed the team of his decision on Tuesday. This battle was expected to last into the preseason, but O'Connell called the contest four days before the Vikings are scheduled to take the field against the New York Giants.
Murray will be the Vikings' fourth different Week 1 starting quarterback over the last four years. He was always viewed as the favorite to win this job over McCarthy, who became the only first-round pick since 1970 to finish last in the NFL in completion percentage and TD-INT ratio in his first season. While Minnesota did rally to finish with a 9-8 record last year, the Vikings still missed the playoffs thanks to an underperforming offense.
Murray was released by the Arizona Cardinals this offseason following seven years with the franchise. The former No. 1 overall pick won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2019, made two Pro Bowls, and took Arizona to the postseason once, but his play dipped in recent years. Murray has missed 30 out of a possible 68 games over the last five seasons, and his last winning season came back in 2021. In all, Murray went 38-48-1 during his time with the Cardinals.
Still, it's possible Murray is rejuvenated by this change of scenery. In Minnesota, he finds multiple upgrades he did not have in Arizona. For example, Murray has a star wideout for the first time since DeAndre Hopkins. Justin Jefferson is one of the best pass-catchers in the game, and just became the third player to ever begin a career with six straight seasons of 1,000 yards receiving. He's not the only weapon either, as Minnesota has a solid supporting cast which includes Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson and Jauan Jennings.
Murray also has the backing of a Brian Flores unit that finished No. 3 in total defense last season (282.6 yards allowed per game) and No. 7 in scoring defense (19.6 points allowed per game). If Murray can be an efficient distributor of the football, this Vikings team can return to the postseason.
Why now, and what happens next?
It's curious that the Vikings made this decision before the team's first preseason game, and that O'Connell didn't want to give his two quarterbacks a chance to compete with live reps. Sometimes it's the preseason where quarterback battles are decided, and now the NFL world is left with just one legitimate quarterback battle to follow this month with the Cleveland Browns. Tua Tagovailoa may have the Atlanta Falcons job wrapped up since Michael Penix Jr. hasn't even been cleared for 11-on-11 work.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network/ESPN said on "The Pat McAfee Show" that Murray and McCarthy pushed each other during this competition, but it did feel like the veteran was ahead. While the timing of this decision is surprising, what it does is give Minnesota's offense clarity, and the opportunity to practice full time with the new starting quarterback. No need to give McCarthy reps with the starting offense anymore.
In an ironic twist of fate, the Vikings are hoping Murray can be their "Sam Darnold." Minnesota of course allowed Darnold to walk in free agency last offseason, and he was picked up by the Seattle Seahawks. Not many believed the journeyman could replicate a 14-3 season, but that's exactly what Darnold did as he helped Seattle not only win the NFC West and secure the No. 1 seed in the conference, but get over the hump entirely and win a Super Bowl.
There are some obvious differences between Darnold and Murray. One was coming off the best season of his NFL career while the other is coming off arguably his worst. But O'Connell just needs someone to come in and run his system efficiently -- not be Superman.
Reports from camp didn't indicate Murray was lighting up the practice field, and something to watch over the next month is how he adapts to O'Connell's timing-based passing attack. It's a bit different from what Murray has run in the past, and he needs to stay on time and in rhythm for it to work. Now that the competition has been decided, he has time to settle in.
