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Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray is rumored to be interested in joining the Vikings.
Sam Darnold‘s Super Bowl ascent has redeemed the Minnesota Vikings as a quarterback haven. Several reporters have touted that Minnesota, despite a down year with J.J. McCarthy, is a destination that many quarterbacks are interested in this offseason.
Among those quarterbacks facing the possibility of a career move: Kyler Murray of the Arizona Cardinals. SKOR North’s Phil Mackey reported on February 12 that he’s heard Murray “would be interested in playing for the Vikings,” an invitation for Minnesota to pursue the former No. 1 overall pick — which involves a game of chicken with the Cardinals.
The Vikings entered last offseason knowing Darnold would leave, but banked on their backup plan of signing Daniel Jones to pair with McCarthy.
That plan went sideways when Jones bet on himself to win the starting job with the Indianapolis Colts. Minnesota clearly did not have a Plan C in free agency and wound up signing Carson Wentz off the street after Sam Howell (acquired in a draft-day trade with the Seattle Seahawks) was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles after an unconvincing preseason.
The Vikings must avoid scrambling for a quarterback this time around. A trade for a veteran bridge quarterback before free agency opens in mid-March, or at least a handshake deal with a pending free agent, must be sealed.
Murray headlines a cast of veteran quarterbacks whose teams appear poised to move on for him. However, the Cardinals will attempt to leverage the Vikings’ quarterback needs and boost his market over the next month.
Meanwhile, Minnesota must strike a balance of filling a desperate need in what owner Mark Wilf called a “critical” offseason without hemorrhaging the future.
Will the Cardinals Release Kyler Murray? Inside Kyler Murray’s Trade Market
The No. 1 overall pick of the 2019 draft, Murray won Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and made back-to-back Pro Bowls the following two years but has since struggled to take the next step in his career.
The Cardinals are onto their third head coach since selecting Murray and could part ways with Murray, opting for a full rebuild after a 3-14 season.
Arizona’s lack of success during the Jonathan Gannon era hasn’t been due to a lack of talent at quarterback, but rather, Murray’s struggles to stay on the field. Murray has missed 21 games in the past three seasons due to knee and foot injuries.
Injury concerns on top of a massive $36.8 million guaranteed salary for next season hurt Murray’s trade value.
However, the Cardinals are not cornered into shipping him off for a Day 3 pick. They could stomach taking on some of his salary to sweeten a deal for a second- or third-round pick — which would be a tough price for the Vikings to match due to their investment in McCarthy.
Vikings Drawing Interest Among Veteran QBs Amid JJ McCarthy Concerns
Several NFL reporters with insider sourcing have confirmed that Minnesota remains an ideal landing spot after Darnold resurrected his career.
“The quarterbacks all want to come to Minnesota because they’ve seen the work Kevin O’Connell has done, including with the guy Sam Darnold. The hope is also that a competitive environment is going to bring out the best in J.J. McCarthy,” NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero said on “NFL Gameday” on February 8.
KSTP’s Darren Wolfson doubled down on Pelissero’s report, noting the offensive infrastructure, the perks of working with O’Connell and the potential to win the starting job in response to Mackey’s intel on Murray.
That gives the Vikings some leverage in exploring potential quarterbacks who are more likely to be released, like Geno Smith and Tua Tagovailoa.
Trevor Squire is a sports journalist covering the NFL and NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Timberwolves and Milwaukee Bucks. Trevor studied journalism at the University of Minnesota — Twin Cities, making stops at the Star Tribune and the St. Paul Pioneer Press. You can reach him at trevor.squire@heavy.com and follow him on Twitter @trevordsquire. More about Trevor Squire
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