Sam Darnold has completely changed the narrative surrounding his NFL career, turning himself from a draft bust into a Pro Bowl quarterback and Super Bowl champion.
Darnold’s comeback started in 2024 with the Minnesota Vikings. He had 4,319 passing yards and 35 touchdowns right before hitting free agency. Despite going 14-3 as their starter, they let him sign a three-year, $100.5 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks. That turned out to be quite the investment for Seattle’s front office.
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Not only did Darnold have an efficient regular season with the Seahawks, he played turnover-free football during their run to the Super Bowl.
With the NFL offseason finally here, Fox Sports personality Danny Parkins predicted which quarterback will have a career turnaround similar to Darnold’s. He believes Kyler Murray could be in store for a successful 2026 season if he joins the Vikings.
“I would not rush to the cleanest path to start or the most money. I’d make an investment in myself,” Parkins said. “If you’re getting all that money from Arizona, go to Minnesota and compete with J.J. McCarthy. All of a sudden, if you beat out JJ McCarthy, you’ve got Brian Flores’ defense, Kevin O’Connell calling plays, and you’re throwing the ball to Justin Jefferson in a dome.”
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Nov 3, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) looks on from the field before the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Arizona Cardinals at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images© Jerome Miron-Imagn Images.
(© Jerome Miron-Imagn Images.)Will Kyler end up in Minnesota?
SKOR North’s Phil Mackey reported last week that Murray “would be interested” in playing for the Vikings next season. ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, meanwhile, said he expects Minnesota to “take a big swing” for a quarterback this offseason.
“In the big picture, McCarthy is a talented player who just turned 23 and has a total of 10 NFL starts. Few NFL teams would give up on a quarterback with that profile, and many team builders are particularly enamored with optimizing a quarterback’s rookie contract. Adofo-Mensah was one of them, but his departure is a reminder of the range of outcomes that approach can lead to,” Seifert said. “If anything, these events increase the chances that the Vikings will take a big swing at finding a veteran quarterback who could start in 2026. The only thing more damaging than making the mistakes the Vikings made last season would be to repeat them this year.”
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Trading for Murray won’t be easy, that’s for sure. The former No. 1 pick is owed $36.8 million in fully guaranteed salary and bonuses for the 2026 season.
If the Arizona Cardinals cut Murray, there’s no question teams will line up for a chance to sign him.
This story was originally published by The Spun on Feb 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.