The Minnesota Vikings Are Over Kyler Murray

Why the Vikings Don’t Trust Kyler Murray, and Why Daniel Jones Could Be Next in Minnesota

The Minnesota Vikings are 6-1 and one of the best teams in the NFC, but their offense hasn’t been carrying them. Kyler Murray is out with a hamstring strain, and Kevin O’Connell is giving Carson Wentz the start against the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football. On paper, it’s a short-term injury move: Murray is listed as week-to-week, and the team says injured reserve isn’t on the table. Around the league, though, many people read it as a sign of something bigger. Minnesota no longer seems sure that Murray is the quarterback who can win them a Super Bowl.

The numbers explain why. Murray signed a one-year deal in the offseason, and in his first season in Minnesota the offense has ranked near the bottom of the league in total yards, passing yards and scoring. Through seven games, the Vikings had scored only 12 offensive touchdowns. That’s the fewest by any team with a record this good at this point of a season in more than 40 years. Murray has thrown for just over 1,000 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions, and he has never looked like a natural fit in O’Connell’s timing-based passing game. Some national voices have even suggested the “injury” is a soft benching.

So how are they 6-1? Defense. Minnesota’s defense has kept them in every game and won games for them. Wentz already won both of his earlier appearances this year, including a 9-3 grind against the Bears, despite throwing for fewer than 150 yards in each. A defense this good gives a team a real championship window, and that’s exactly why the front office may not want to waste it on a guessing game at quarterback.

That’s where Daniel Jones comes in. The trade deadline is Tuesday, just hours after the Bills game ends, and several national insiders have linked the Vikings to a reunion with Jones, who was their backup in 2024 before moving on to Indianapolis. The 2-6 Colts have reportedly taken calls about him, but reports conflict on whether they would actually move him. His 2026 season has been rough, and he carries an injury guarantee for 2027 that would make any deal more complicated. Still, if Wentz struggles on Monday night, expect the Jones rumors to get louder fast. A contender with a defense like this one can’t afford to stand still at the most important position in the sport.