Report: Minnesota Vikings sign QB Kyler Murray to one year deal

The Minnesota Vikings have signed free agent QB Kyler Murray to a one-year deal, according to multiple reports. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the deal is for the veteran minimum with the Arizona Cardinals still owing him $36.8 million from his previous contract.

Murray was released from the Cardinals on Wednesday to begin the new league year. He was quickly linked to the Vikings, and 24 hours later, he’s found his next NFL home — at least for the 2026 season.

He spent all seven of his NFL seasons so far with Arizona. Across those seven years, Murray recorded 20,460 passing yards and 121 passing touchdowns. Both stats are good for third most in team history.

However, Murray was limited to playing in just five games in 2025, during which he threw for 962 yards and six touchdowns with three interceptions. This came after he played in every game for the Cardinals in 2024 — the first time he was able to do that since 2020, and the first 17-game season of his career.

Murray now joins a QB room that was led by J.J. McCarthy during the 2025 season. There will no doubt be a QB battle this offseason, though many expect Murray to be the starter moving forward.

McCarthy was limited to 10 games during his first year as a starting quarterback in the NFL. During that span, he passed for 1,632 yards — 32nd in the NFL — to go with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He added four touchdowns and three fumbles to his season totals on the ground as well.

The Vikings finished 9-8 overall, missing the postseason. This came after a 2024 season which saw Minnesota finish with a 14-3 record under the guidance of Sam Darnold. Darnold stepped in for McCarthy, who the Vikings took with the 10th overall pick that offseason, after suffering a season-ending injury during the preseason. Darnold was released after the season before being picked up by the Seattle Seahawks, where he won the Super Bowl last month.