{"id":683570,"date":"2026-01-17T06:04:21","date_gmt":"2026-01-17T06:04:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/683570\/"},"modified":"2026-01-17T06:04:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-17T06:04:21","slug":"vikings-trade-pitch-nets-kyler-murray-as-jj-mccarthy-successor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/683570\/","title":{"rendered":"Vikings Trade Pitch Nets Kyler Murray as JJ McCarthy Successor"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"Kyler\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Quarterback Kyler Murray of the Arizona Cardinals.<\/p>\n

The Minnesota Vikings<\/a> aren\u2019t in a position where they have to swing for the fences at the quarterback position this offseason, but the possibility exists if the opportunity presents itself and the price is right.<\/p>\n

That is according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic, who authored his latest report on the Vikings QB room on Friday, January 16.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs I\u2019ve written in recent weeks, nothing is off the table with regard to how aggressive the Vikings may be to build what the team\u2019s leadership has described as a \u2018deep and talented\u2019 quarterback room,\u201d Lewis wrote<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s one thing to say that [Kevin] O\u2019Connell<\/a> and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah<\/a> haven\u2019t won a playoff game in their four seasons here. It\u2019s another to note that this ownership group has only gotten past the wild-card round twice in the last 15 years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Minnesota could give JJ McCarthy<\/a> a year to develop and improve, hedging a bit by adding Aaron Rodgers<\/a> or Joe Flacco<\/a> on a one-year deal in free agency.<\/p>\n

Or the Vikings could put a bit more pressure on McCarthy longterm by trading with the San Francisco 49ers<\/a> for Mac Jones<\/a> or inking Green Bay Packers<\/a> backup Malik Willis<\/a> when he hits the free-agent market.<\/p>\n

But the home run option is to pursue a trade for a player like Kyler Murray<\/a>, whom the Arizona Cardinals<\/a> are prepping to deal this offseason as he heads into his age-29 campaign.<\/p>\n

As Lewis noted, there are multiple complications with such a move, but O\u2019Connell and Adofo-Mensah are two-for-four on playoff berths in four seasons and 0-2 in postseason play without any certainty under center heading into 2026.<\/p>\n

Kyler Murray Linked to Vikings by NFL Insider\"Kyler<\/p>\n

GettyArizona Cardinals<\/a> quarterback Kyler Murray.<\/p>\n

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN <\/a>on December 17 floated the Vikings as a potential landing spot for Murray, a two-time Pro Bowler (2020, 2021).<\/p>\n

The quarterback trade market is worth watching, particularly with supply failing to meet the demand once again. This leads to a conversation on Kyler Murray, whom the\u00a0Cardinals are subtly \u2014 or quite obviously \u2014 trying to stash to preserve his health for a potential trade this offseason.<\/p>\n

Does a safe landing spot exist for Murray? Working with, say, Kevin O\u2019Connell in Minnesota would be ideal, but JJ McCarthy has shown improvement over the past two weeks.<\/p>\n

Recent rhetoric from both O\u2019Connell and Adofo-Mensah has since indicated that Vikings will aggressively pursue \u201ccompetition\u201d for McCarthy this offseason<\/p>\n

Kyler Murray Has Top-10 Potential if Healthy\"Kyler<\/p>\n

GettyArizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray.<\/p>\n

Murray, 28, has three years remaining on his $230.5 million<\/a> deal and the final season is a team option. A total $37 million on that contract is guaranteed in 2026.<\/p>\n

The biggest inherent risk of Minnesota inking Murray is his injury history. He missed 12 games this season, though much of that was Arizona holding him out intentionally to preserve his health for a looming trade.<\/p>\n

Fowler wrote last month that Murray recently possessed \u201cfringe top-10-QB status,\u201d implying that he could regain that position under the right circumstances.<\/p>\n

Murray has thrown for 20,460 passing yards, 121 TDs and 60 INTs<\/a> in 87 career games and rushed for 3,193 yards and 32 touchdowns.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tMax Dible<\/a> covers the NFL, NBA and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns. He covered local and statewide news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and served as news director for BigIslandNow.com and Pacific Media Group’s family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy. More about Max Dible<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Vikings\n\t\t<\/p>\n

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