Last offseason, due to circumstances in and out of their control, the Minnesota Vikings botched their quarterback situation. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah took the fall for the decision to anoint J.J. McCarthy as the starter with a less-than-ideal plan behind him, but no one is immune from some level of blame.

Heading into this offseason, it’s no surprise, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, that “all bets are off” when it comes to what the Vikings could do to add a veteran quarterback.

Some of those options appear to be moving hard toward unlikely already, and the dynamics attached to acquiring some others are strained, but no proverbial stones are likely to be left unturned. The addition to the quarterback room could compete with McCarthy, or simply replace him, and the name that is added will directly correlate to how McCarthy is viewed.

Minnesota Vikings should avoid replacing J.J. McCarthy with Kyler Murray

Now that it’s officially the offseason, Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton has shared some new player-team predictions for the 2026 quarterback carousel.

Some of the predictions are connected to each other, including the prediction for who the Vikings will end up with.

“This would represent the other end of the trade between the Arizona Cardinals and the Vikings. Kyler Murray lands in Minnesota, where he can build a rapport with two-time All-Pro Justin Jefferson. The two could become a high-level tandem that consistently puts up big numbers through the air.”

Moton predicted the Arizona Cardinals will land McCarthy or Kirk Cousins, with the former being the “other end of the trade” he proposed.

There are some clear before-and-after lines in Murray’s Cardinals’ career. Over his first three seasons (2019-2021), he had 70 touchdown passes, 34 interceptions, and a 93.9 passer rating as he won Offensive Rookie of the Year and earned two Pro Bowl nods. In the four seasons since, with injuries as a factor, he has not looked the same.

A change in offensive coordinator, from Kliff Kingsbury to Drew Petzing, also hurt Murray, particularly as a downfield passer. The mobility that makes Murray unique could also be impacted going forward by the foot injury that shortened his 2025 campaign. And at 5-10 and just over 200 pounds, he’s never been built like a prototypical NFL quarterback.

Then there’s the ongoing question about Murray’s dedication to football. That will not fly with Kevin O’Connell, looking toward what’s lined up to be a critical season for the Vikings’ head coach. Amid all his other issues, doing the requisite behind-the-scenes work hasn’t been a known issue with McCarthy.

With Joe Burrow and Mac Jones seemingly off the table, Murray has quickly surfaced among some fans and analysts as the preferred offseason quarterback acquisition for the Vikings.

Leaving aside the financial considerations attached to trading for Murray, it remains hard to see an ideal fit for him in in Minnesota. If anything a perception the former No. 1 overall pick is now simply the “next best option” is driving the conversation to tie him to the Vikings.

The Vikings’ front office won’t make their decision on what quarterback to bring in based on their name, especially when their game can’t back it up anymore. If Murray isn’t already on the wrong side of that name vs. game line, he’s straddling it and teetering toward falling to the wrong side.