Vikings QB Kyler Murray's former backup Brett Hundley explains why Minnesota experiment never truly clicked

Kyler Murray signed with the Minnesota Vikings in March, joining a team whose coach, Kevin O'Connell, had won 13 games with Kirk Cousins in 2022 and taken Sam Darnold to his first Pro Bowl in 2024. 

On Tuesday, with Murray sidelined by a hamstring strain, the Vikings sent a 2027 third-round pick to the Las Vegas Raiders to bring Cousins back, and Murray is headed for the backup job.

Brett Hundley backed up Murray during his 2019 rookie season with the Arizona Cardinals. In an interview with Kyle Odegard of Action Network published Wednesday, he went back to a prediction he made before the season.

"I personally thought he was going to do a lot better when you look at the Vikings' past QB history of coming in and revamping their career. I said before the season I thought that would happen with Kyler, but I haven't seen what we're used to seeing with him," Hundley said.

Murray is averaging 3.17 seconds before he throws this season, the slowest pace of his eight-year career. In an offense where the ball is supposed to arrive as the receiver comes out of his break, that extra beat turns open throws into contested ones and gives the pass rush time to get home.

"That offense is built around timing. If you threw Brock Purdy in there, he'd be a great fit for that offense. That's the type of quarterback. I think Kyler is a great quarterback, but it's just not a true fit. When he was drafted in Arizona under Kliff Kingsbury, the offense was built around him, and that's where Kyler had his best years. We haven't seen that (in Minnesota)," Hundley said.

Purdy runs Kyle Shanahan's offense with the San Francisco 49ers, and O'Connell's system comes from the same family through Sean McVay, his old boss with the Los Angeles Rams. Both ask the quarterback to hit his drop and let the ball go on time. Murray built his best seasons on what happens after that first window closes, extending plays with his legs and throwing on the move.

What Arizona built for Murray that Minnesota never did

The Cardinals hired Kingsbury out of Texas Tech in January 2019 and drafted Murray first overall that April to run his Air Raid. Murray was named Offensive Rookie of the Year that season and made the Pro Bowl in each of the next two, running for 819 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2020.

"When you come in as the No. 1 pick, they will build the offense around you," Hundley said.

Minnesota got Murray on a one-year deal at the veteran minimum after Arizona released him, with the Cardinals still owing him $36.8 million. A quarterback who arrives that way joins an offense already in place, and Hundley put the message in the team's voice. 

"We're running this. Do with it what you can," Hundley said.

Murray's hamstring gave out in the 19-15 loss at the Detroit Lions on Nov. 1, and Carson Wentz started Monday's loss to the Buffalo Bills. A day later, Minnesota went back to the quarterback who already knows every page of O'Connell's playbook.

ESPN's Kevin Seifert reported that Murray will back up Cousins once he is healthy, and O'Connell has listed him as week-to-week. Cousins is expected to start Sunday against the Green Bay Packers with the Vikings at 6-2, and Murray's contract runs out after the season.