Vikings sent clear J.J. McCarthy message with Cardinals set to release Kyler Murray

It was learned on Tuesday that the Arizona Cardinals will officially release quarterback Kyler Murray once the new league year opens on March 11. 

Even before that, reports linked Murray with a Minnesota Vikings team that seemingly no longer is all-in on playing signal-caller and 2024 first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy. 

During a Tuesday afternoon appearance on Cleveland sports radio station 92.3 The Fan, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated spoke about what Murray will want in a new employer. Breer unintentionally sent quite a message to Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell and executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski regarding what they may have to do to land Murray's services as soon as next week. 

What Kyler Murray will prioritize while choosing a new team

"I actually think he's got some juice," Breer said about Murray. "I think he's going to be motivated. We'll see where it goes. I think he's an interesting case because he's going to be able to make this purely a football decision. ...He's going to be able to kind of prioritize what the best football situation is for him, which to me makes this thing a whole lot more interesting." 

As Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio and others have explained, Murray can sign a one-year deal for $1.3M because the Cardinals owe him $38M in fully guaranteed money for the 2026 season. Thus, Murray likely won't have to settle for being asked to compete with an in-house quarterback such as McCarthy later this summer. 

As for McCarthy, multiple reports have surfaced this offseason detailing concerns people within the Vikings supposedly have about the 23-year-old. His play across the first 10 regular-season starts of his young career often left much to be desired, and he allegedly struggled with "some of the more elemental aspects of being the face of a franchise." 

O’Connell apparently wanted to sign and start Aaron Rodgers over McCarthy last year, but "the overall Vikings organization was not on board" with that plan. 

What teams could give Kyler Murray what he wants? 

During Tuesday's radio hit, Breer suggested that the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins could win Murray's signature. The Jets have no true QB1 on their roster, and Jets head coach Aaron Glenn reportedly "has a relationship with Murray’s father." Meanwhile, a Dolphins regime that didn't draft 2025 rookie Quinn Ewers may prefer to play Murray. 

"Teams that I think would give him a chance to get on the field in 2026 would have an advantage," Breer added about where Murray may end up. 

Once the "legal tampering" portion of free agency opens on Monday, the Vikings can try to win Murray over if Minnesota is truly willing to sit McCarthy through at least the start of the 2026 season.