Quarterback Kyler Murray finding a new home with the Minnesota Vikings via free agency was a welcome move.
The veteran signal caller, who spent six seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, revealed that he is a lifelong Vikings fan. Murray grew up in Texas and played at Allen High before stints at Texas A&M and Oklahoma in college, where he won the Heisman Trophy with the Sooners in 2018.
“Genuine fandom ran deep. Vikings gear through and through. A lot of purple in my household,” he said on Thursday.
Over the years, the Minnesota franchise has been synonymous with heartbreak due to numerous postseason defeats as well as four Super Bowl losses in the 1970s.
Murray shared one of his most emotional moments as a Vikings fan, highlighting the time when former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre carried the Vikings to the NFC Championship Game in the 2009 season. Favre had a career year, but the New Orleans Saints roughed him up in the title game, and Saints cornerback Tracy Porter picked him off, which held off the Vikings in an overtime victory.
“I cried real tears whenever Brett threw that interception. I cried real tears that day,” Murray said.
Minnesota has experienced more heartbreak since, especially regarding quarterbacks. The Vikings made it back to the NFC Championship Game in 2017 with backup quarterback Case Keenum, but things flatlined for the purple in that game as the Vikings fell short to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Most recently, the Vikings surged to 14–3 in 2024 with quarterback Sam Darnold, but flamed out in the Wild Card round against the Los Angeles Rams. Darnold then left the Vikings in free agency for the Seattle Seahawks and won the Super Bowl in the 2025 season.
Murray arrives in Minnesota with more career success than Darnold, but Murray will need to beat out third-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who didn’t live up to being a No. 10 pick last season. The former 2019 No. 1 pick described his relationship with Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, a coach who has enjoyed success developing quarterbacks.
“Me and K.O. go back to the Elite 11 days,” Murray recalled. “I remember during the combine, I had an interview with [Washington], and he was with them. He pulled me aside after my meeting with them. Ever since then, our relationship, he’s always made sure to check in on me, whether it was after a game, things like that.”
Arizona drafted Murray, and O’Connell kept coaching at Washington through the 2019 season. O’Connell then arrived in the NFC West with the Rams as the offensive coordinator and won a Super Bowl with the team. He saw Murray twice a season in 2020 and 2021.
“I’ve always appreciated his opinion of me and the support he’s given me. Getting to play for him and have that relationship with him means the world,” Murray said. “Obviously, he’s had a lot of success with different quarterbacks, and he’s one of the best offensive minds in the game. I’m looking forward to going to work with him.”
Murray will get to work with one of the best wide receivers in the game, Justin Jefferson. The Vikings also have quality skill players in wideout Jordan Addison, tight end T.J. Hockenson, and running back Aaron Jones—all of whom helped the team go 9–8 despite struggles and injuries for McCarthy.
“I know what my skill set brings to the game. I know what I’m capable of,” Murray said. “I’m ready to come in to compete. I can’t wait to be under his tutelage and get to go to war with not only Jets (Jefferson), but (O’Connell) too.”
Murray has a one-year, $1.3 million deal with the Vikings, so he enters this year as a competitor with McCarthy. That said, the Vikings have offseason workouts, minicamps, and training camp to determine if Murray or McCarthy will start under center in Week 1.