Why Kyler Murray to Vikings may not be a done deal

Even before the Arizona Cardinals officially released quarterback Kyler Murray at the start of the new league year on Wednesday, numerous reports suggested that it was a matter of when and not if he would sign with the Minnesota Vikings.

That was before Cardinals reporters such as Kyle Odegard of Sporting News revealed that Murray would be visiting with the Vikings on Thursday. Additionally, NFL insider Michael Silver of The Athletic suggested that Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell is ready to start Murray over 2024 first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy.

It appears Murray may not be ready to marry the Vikings quite yet. 

Why Vikings haven't yet won the Kyler Murray sweepstakes

According to NFL Network insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, "Murray is expected to speak with three to five teams via Zoom Wednesday and Thursday that could potentially have a QB need in 2027." 

Specifically, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk named the New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Rams among clubs Murray could chat with. 

Murray will likely ink a one-year deal for $1.3M with a new team because the Cardinals owe him $38M in fully guaranteed money for next season. Meanwhile, the Rams, Jets and Falcons seem to have their 2026 Week 1 starters already on their rosters. The Steelers are acting like a club that will eventually have Aaron Rodgers back atop their depth chart, while the Browns have quite a crowded quarterback room. 

What Kyler Murray may ask from other teams

Florio mentioned that Murray likely will want a clause attached to his contract that will prevent a team from retaining his rights for 2027 via the franchise or transition tag. 

"He needs to be able to hit the market next year," Florio added about Murray, "if for whatever reason he plays well and doesn’t get a solid offer to stick around with the Vikings, or whoever he signs with. The Vikings continue to be the clear favorite. There’s really no one else. And, as of last season near the trade deadline, the Vikings were one of the teams in which Murray was interested."

Similar to the situation involving Rodgers and the Steelers, nothing with Murray is official until a deal is signed. That said, all signs continue to point to Murray becoming Minnesota's next QB1.