Kyler Murray gets good news amid J.J. McCarthy QB competition

The Minnesota Vikings have one of the most interesting quarterback rooms this season, with veteran signal-caller Kyler Murray duking it out with third-year player J.J. McCarthy for the starting role.

This is the kind of quarterback battle that could go either way. While Murray has more experience, McCarthy still has promise. However, the Michigan product appeared in 10 games during the 2025 NFL season, so staying healthy is still an ongoing concern, and his performance was so-so in most of those matchups. He passed for 1,632 yards with 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2025, according to Pro Football Reference research.

Ahead of the 2026 season, Murray just got some good news in the form of an analyst calling his signing by the Vikings one of the best moves of the offseason.

Vikings QB Kyler Murray gets high marks from NFL analyst

Greg Auman of the NFL's official website loves the Murray signing. In a feature out on Thursday, he names the No. 10 best offseason moves in the entire league.

In the piece, he calls the signing not only a good move for the Vikings but also for Murray and his career.

"It's also a strong move on Murray's part. In theory, Murray will compete with J.J. McCarthy for the starting quarterback job," he states in the piece. "But he's in a great position to re-establish himself, throwing passes to star wide receiver Justin Jefferson and company as he'll try to recapture the magic the Vikings had when they went 14-3 in 2024."

He adds: "Kevin O'Connell's quarterbacks threw 30-plus touchdowns in each of his first three seasons as Vikings head coach, and Murray's career best is 26. So, he could be this year's bounce-back darling."

The kudos are just one more bit of good news for Murray as he competes with McCarthy for that starting role.