Vikings’ $1.3 million signing named best of free agency originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Minnesota Vikings have been one team in the headlines over the past week or so, and that is because of one free agency signing and the ramifications that come with it.
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Signing Kyler Murray to a one-year deal, the Vikings now have a two-time Pro Bowl quarterback to lead the offense. Yes, I said lead because J.J. McCarthy likely won’t beat out Kyler in a quarterback battle this offseason. He could. But it’s unlikely.
And where that leaves the young QB is in an unknown state regarding his future.
For ESPN’s Ben Solak, he has quite the reaction to Minnesota’s signing of Murray, calling it the best deal of any team in free agency.
“It’s the best signing of any team this cycle,” Solak wrote. “Murray on a veterans minimum contract ($1.3 million) does more than just provide the Vikings with desperately needed cap relief as they unspool their aggressive spending of the past few offseasons. It also gives them a playoff-caliber quarterback.”
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Why Murray is best signing
There are a few reasons, and the biggest one is the price.
Just $1.3 million for a Pro Bowl quarterback. The move has virtually no risk attached to it for Minnesota. In a sense, it’s a win-win.
If Murray wins the starting role, the Vikings have him for next to nothing. If McCarthy wins it, Murray is only on $1.3 million to be a backup. That’s a bargain.
So, either way, Minnesota wins in this deal.
It will just be fascinating to see how the franchise wins in 2026.
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