Vikings Name Kyler Murray Starting Quarterback Over J.J. McCarthy

Updated Aug. 11, 2026 2:32 p.m. ET

The decision is in!

The Minnesota Vikings have named Kyler Murray their starting quarterback for the 2026 NFL season over J.J. McCarthy, the team announced on Tuesday.

Minnesota signed Murray, the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, to a one-year deal in March after the quarterback was released by the Arizona Cardinals. Murray's 2025 campaign was cut short after five games due to a foot injury.

In the last full season he started (2024), Murray totaled 3,851 passing yards, 21 passing touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a 93.5 passer rating with the Cardinals, while completing 68.8% of his passes. He also rushed for 572 yards and five touchdowns.

Murray was the 2019 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and a Pro Bowler in both 2020 and 2021, which got him a five-year, $230.5 million extension from the Cardinals in the 2022 offseason. That said, Murray's 2022 campaign ended in Week 14 due to a torn ACL, which kept the quarterback off the field until Nov. 2023.

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Colin Cowherd discusses the Minnesota Vikings naming Kyler Murray the starting QB over J.J. McCarthy.

As for whom Murray beat out for the starting job, McCarthy, whom the Vikings traded up to select with the No. 10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft after he helped the Michigan Wolverines win the 2024 National Championship, missed his rookie season due to a torn meniscus and was limited to 10 starts in 2025 due to ankle, head and hand injuries, respectively.

Across the 10 starts he made, McCarthy totaled 1,632 passing yards, 11 passing touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a 72.6 passer rating, while completing 57.6% of his passes. Minnesota went 6-4 in those games and missed the playoffs at 9-8. The Vikings started three different quarterbacks in 2025: McCarthy (10 starts), Carson Wentz (five starts) and Max Brosmer (two starts).

This came one season after the Vikings went 14-3 with Sam Darnold as their starting quarterback. Darnold then signed a three-year, $100.5 million deal with the Seattle Seahawks in the 2025 offseason and helped them win Super Bowl LX in his first season with the franchise.

The Vikings open the 2026 preseason on the road against the New York Giants on Saturday afternoon and open the regular season at home against the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 13.