March 17, 2026, 10:16 a.m. CT

The Minnesota Vikings recently signed Kyler Murray to a one-year deal, bringing him in to be camp competition for J.J. McCarthy. However, all signs clearly point toward Murray being the week one starter for Minnesota in 2026. With a clear upgrade at the quarterback position, it begs the question: Are the Vikings back to being playoff contenders?

The doubters certainly have a case. Murray, a former Heisman Trophy winner and number one overall pick back in 2019, was a quality starter most of his career in Arizona, but struggled to get the Cardinals to be consistent playoff threats. He was 38-48-1 as the starter, and injuries have hurt him the last two of the last three seasons. He’s a great fantasy option, but the results weren’t often there. He did lead Arizona to one playoff appearance, which would be a loss to the Los Angeles Rams, where he would struggle mightily.

But to say that Kyler Murray isn’t a massive upgrade over J.J. McCarthy is simply a lie.

Murray has thrown for over 20,000 passing yards, a 121/60 TD/INT ratio, and a completion percentage of 67.1%, which is fifth all-time among qualifying quarterbacks. This puts him higher than Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, Peyton Manning, Matt Ryan, and Aaron Rodgers, to name a few. His massive rushing upside will also be huge in this offense, as he has rushed for almost 3,200 yards and 32 touchdowns in his nine-year career.

One point that isn’t being talked about enough, though, is experience. McCarthy has ten career starts, Murray has 87. His massive gap in experience, while just being 28 years old, will be a huge difference, especially in camp. There is going to be a massive difference in confidence, command of the offense, and overall game sense you get with Murray. It certainly helps that he does most things better than McCarthy, too.

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Kyler Murray is going to be the week one starter, and if this defense plays similarly to how they did in 2025, the Minnesota Vikings should be right back in the playoffs. The tricky part, however, will be handling this situation next offseason, when it is decision time all over again with a quarterback on a one-year deal who exceeds expectations.