Kyler Murray did not remain available long after being released by the Arizona Cardinals at the start of the NFL’s league year.
The Minnesota Vikings are signing Murray to a one-year contract just over 24 hours after he was released by the Cardinals.
Murray will make the veteran minimum of $1.3 million with the Vikings, while the Cardinals will pay him the remaining $35.5 million of the $36.8 million guaranteed salary they owed him for the 2026 NFL season.
Murray’s arrival will create an intriguing quarterback battle in Minnesota. The 28-year-old veteran –who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and made the Pro Bowl during the 2020 and 2021 seasons – will challenge 2024 first-round selection J.J. McCarthy for the starting job.
McCarthy replaced Sam Darnold as Minnesota’s full-time starter last season and struggled in his first year of NFL action. He posted a 6-4 record across 10 starts but completed just 57.6% of his passes for 1,623 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while battling a high-ankle sprain, a concussion and a broken hand.
Murray played in just five games due to a foot injury of his own in 2025. However, the 5-10 signal-caller has posted significantly better numbers than McCarthy across his career, completing 67.1% of his passes for 20,460 yards, 121 touchdowns and 60 interceptions across 87 career starts.
That has left some NFL fans wondering what Murray’s presence in Minnesota will mean for McCarthy. Will the Vikings trade away McCarthy to give him a fresh start? Or will the team give him every opportunity to beat out Murray and hope he can continue to progress in his third NFL season?
Here’s how Murray’s signing impacts McCarthy, and where the Michigan product could land if he does eventually emerge as a trade candidate.
Could the Vikings trade J.J. McCarthy?
While McCarthy “could garner some interest and calls” on the trade market during the offseason, per Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson, the expectation is he will remain with the Vikings.
“McCarthy won’t be dealt unless the Vikings are presented with a quarterback option that effectively renders any chance of him having a future as moot,” Robinson wrote in late February, ahead of the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine.
Murray likely wouldn’t qualify as such. He is signing a one-year, veteran-minimum contract to join the Vikings, with an eye on rebuilding his market value during a short-term stint.
That will make Minnesota’s quarterback situation more akin to what the Indianapolis Colts had in 2025, when they signed Daniel Jones to a one-year deal to compete with Anthony Richardson. The Colts let Jones battle with Richardson for the starting job – which the Duke product ultimately won before turning in the best season of his NFL career to date.
The Vikings will be hoping Murray can similarly challenge McCarthy, with the winner of the quarterback battle emerging as a solid starter for the team.
Meanwhile, the loser of it still figures to remain with the team, given the injury history of both quarterbacks. Murray has only once played a full season since 2021, while McCarthy has only played in 10 of a possible 35 games (postseason included) across his first two NFL seasons.
J.J. McCarthy landing spots
McCarthy may not be on the block now, but things could change later in the offseason if Murray emerges as the clear-cut winner of the quarterback battle.
Here’s a look at the teams that could show an interest in McCarthy should the Vikings consider offloading the 2024 first-round pick at any point.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Aaron Rodgers hasn’t yet announced whether he will return to the Steelers for another NFL season. Even if he does, the 42-year-old obviously won’t be a long-term option to lead the franchise. McCarthy could learn under Rodgers for a season before preparing to take over the team in 2027.
New York Jets
The Jets traded for 35-year-old Geno Smith as a stopgap solution for the upcoming season. Trading for McCarthy would give them a developmental candidate to workshop behind Smith while allowing the team to spend four top-50 picks to address other areas of need on the roster.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals currently have Jacoby Brissett and Gardner Minshew as their top quarterback options. Arizona profiles as a good fit for Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson in the 2026 NFL Draft, but if the Cardinals don’t get him, McCarthy could be a lower-cost pivot.
Indianapolis Colts
This might seem like a weird fit after the Colts signed Daniel Jones to a two-year contract extension worth a base value of $88 million. That said, the 28-year-old is coming off a torn Achilles, so having a potential-packed option behind him wouldn’t be the worst idea. Perhaps a swap involving McCarthy and Anthony Richardson – along with other draft capital to balance a trade – could prove mutually beneficial.
Los Angeles Chargers
Jim Harbaugh coached McCarthy at Michigan, so reuniting with the Chargers could make sense. McCarthy would merely be a backup to Justin Herbert, but spending time learning under a familiar, respected quarterback developer like Harbaugh could benefit the 23-year-old.
J.J. McCarthy contract details
McCarthy’s rookie deal is worth just under $21.9 million over four years, according to Spotrac.com. Below are the full details of his contract with the Vikings:
- Term: 4 years
- Total contract value: $21.85 million
- Average annual value (AAV): $5.46 million
- Guaranteed money: $21.85 million
McCarthy’s AAV ranks just 34th among NFL quarterbacks while the total value of his contract ranks 28th at the position, per OverTheCap.com.
McCarthy’s cheap contract is one of the main reasons – aside from his youth and potential as a first-round talent – he would garner so much interest on the NFL’s trade market.
It’s also why the Vikings don’t have to move on from him after signing Murray. The combined cost of the duo is well below what most NFL teams are paying for their respective quarterback rooms.
Vikings QB depth chart
The Vikings are now three-deep at quarterback after adding Murray. Below is a full look at their quarterback room, which will feature one of the league’s most prominent position battles.
- Kyler Murray
- J.J. McCarthy
- Max Brosmer
Combined, the three quarterbacks are set to take up about $8.27 million in cap space.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Could Vikings trade JJ McCarthy? Rumors, landing spots
