The Vikings’ quarterback competition is over.
Minnesota has named Kyler Murray its starting quarterback, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Murray, the No. 1 pick of the 2019 draft, signed a one-year deal with Minnesota in the offseason with the thought of earning the starting role over J.J. McCarthy. That has now happened before the first preseason game, setting up Murray to take all of the starters’ reps over the next month in preparation for the regular season.
Murray started five games for Arizona last year, completing 68.3 percent of his passes for 962 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions. In 2024, he started all 17 games, recording 3,851 passing yards with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions with a 68.8 percent completion rate.
Notably, Murray has a no-tag clause in his contract, which means he is set to become a free agent next March.
McCarthy, the No. 10 overall pick of the 2024 draft, will now go into his third season as a backup after dealing with injuries and poor performance in his first two years. He started 10 games for Minnesota last year, completing 57.6 percent of his passes for 1,632 yards with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He also took 27 sacks, which worked out to a high 10.0 percent sack rate. His passer rating was just 72.6.
Minnesota’s first preseason game is set for Saturday at 1 p.m. ET against the Giants.
