The Minnesota Vikings have been one of the least busy teams in the league when it comes to outside signings this new league year. But arguably, just adding former Cardinals QB Kyler Murray makes them a playoff contender. Still, Murray will have to earn the starting job over third-year QB JJ McCarthy and veteran Carson Wentz, who has starting experience.
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McCarthy struggled last year as a starter, throwing 12 interceptions and taking 27 sacks. He also ranked 35th out of 36 quarterbacks in accuracy. Murray should have the edge in the competition.
But what about Wentz? He last played a full season back in 2021. Since then, his production has dipped significantly, and he’s become a backup for four different teams. His last Pro Bowl season came in 2017 as well, so expecting him to go all out with the Vikings this year, after going 2-3 last season with a 6-5 TD-INT ratio, feels like a stretch. Analyst Mina Kimes echoed a similar sentiment during her appearance on NFL on ESPN.
“I still think this is Kyler Murray’s job to lose. When you compare his playbook, his film, his stats, to what we have seen from JJ McCarthy and Carson Wentz last season, it’s really not close,” Kimes said, adding,
“With even an average quarterback play, which I do think that they can get from Murray, this is a playoff team. We talked a lot about the defense being a top-10, or even better unit. But something that I think bears also mentioning is that the run game was above average last year, despite the fact that they faced the 25th highest number of light boxes in football.”
“I still think this is Kyler Murray’s job to lose.”
—@minakimes on Minnesota’s QB room after bringing back Carson Wentz pic.twitter.com/GoidqjyJ4E
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) March 19, 2026
With receiver duo Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison in his arsenal, Kimes believes Murray’s passing game can be elite. Add in the QB’s rushing ability, and this offense could be tough to stop.
We tend to agree with Kimes on this one. And QB-whisperer head coach Kevin O’Connell finally gets a proper QB after improving a struggling Sam Darnold into a 14-3 starter in Minnesota, who then went on to win a Super Bowl the next season in Seattle. And if you forgot, Daniel Jones also spent time under O’Connell’s guidance in 2024 before becoming an MVP-caliber QB the following year in Indianapolis.
But who knows? Maybe Murray struggles with his rushing in Minnesota as well, as we haven’t really seen him build on his high-volume 2020 season. And then, perhaps McCarthy or Wentz takes over and shines. It’s all speculation for now and will only be answered well into the 2026 season.
