With Malik Willis, Tua Tagovailoa, Geno Smith, and Daniel Jones off the board for 2026, the next available (inevitably) quarterback to watch is Kyler Murray.
The Vikings have been strongly linked to Murray, who has $36.8 million in full guarantees from the Cardinals in 2026. He can take a one-year deal for the minimum based on his years of service ($1.3 million) and stick the Cardinals for the $35.5 million balance.
It becomes a great deal for the cap-strapped Vikings, who could have Murray and J.J. McCarthy under contract for the coming year at a total cap charge of less than $7.3 million.
With the Dolphins, Falcons, Jets, and Colts now out of the mix for a potential Kyler courtship, Murray’s options are limited. The Steelers are waiting for Aaron Rodgers. Who else needs a potential starter for 2026? The only team that could conceivably enter the conversation is the analytics-obsessed Browns, who may not be able to resist the opportunity to acquire the “asset” of a former No. 1 overall pick for the minimum.
Last year, as the trade deadline approached and we poked around the possibility of a Murray deadline deal, we learned two things: (1) there were too many moving parts to make a trade happen; and (2) Murray’s preferred destinations were the Raiders (due to the presence of Chip Kelly) and the Vikings (due to the presence of Kevin O’Connell).
Kelly is long gone from Las Vegas. That leaves one team.
The bettors seized on it, even before the other seats were filled. Minnesota opened as a -110 favorite to be Murray’s next team. The odds moved to -295, before the bet went off the board.
So, yes, Murray to Minnesota makes the most sense. And he’ll likely be the next domino to fall in the annual offseason quarterback carousel.
