The Minnesota Vikings expected J.J. McCarthy to be their franchise quarterback when they traded up to the number 10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to select him. However, things have gotten off to a rocky start for McCarthy over the past two years in the NFL. The lackluster start to his career has caused many to speculate that the team could be looking for a new signal-caller for the 2026 season.
Chase Daniel Urges Minnesota Vikings to Acquire Kyler Murray
McCarthy tore his meniscus during his first career Preseason game, causing him to miss the entirety of his first NFL season. In his absence, Sam Darnold started for the Vikings, leading the team to a 14-3 record and a playoff appearance.
However, due to a rocky playoff start for Darnold and the team’s belief in their young signal-caller, they let Darnold walk in free agency and handed the reins over to their first-round quarterback.
Unfortunately for Minnesota, that decision didn’t work out in 2025. McCarthy struggled mightily, ranking as the No. 37 quarterback in the PFSN NFL QB Impact Metric (QBi), completing only 57.6 % of his passes, for 1,632 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
Meanwhile, Darnold showed his 2024 season was no fluke, making his second consecutive Pro Bowl and leading the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl victory.
Former 13-year NFL quarterback Chase Daniel believes that the Vikings need to bring in some competition for McCarthy.
“The Vikings HAVE to get their QB position fixed… you can’t just think J.J. McCarthy is going to flip the switch,” Daniel said. “Kyler Murray makes a lot of sense IF you can figure out the money.”
Murray is coming off a down year in his own right, in a year where he was limited to only five games due to a foot injury.
The Vikings HAVE to get their QB position fixed…you can’t just think JJ McCarthy is going to flip the switch.
Kyler Murray makes a lot of sense IF you can figure out the money. pic.twitter.com/foNYLRdFA7
— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) February 26, 2026
However, he will be only 29 when the season starts and has flashed immense upside at times in his NFL career. The former Oklahoma star is a two-time Pro Bowler and won the 2019 Offensive Rookie of the Year.
The dual-threat quarterback ranked No. 21 in the PFSN QBi in 2025, completing 68.3% of his passes for 962 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions, while adding 173 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
The issue with adding Murray comes down to money. Murray is on a five-year $230.5 million contract and has cap hits of $52.6 million and $43.5 million over the next two seasons, per Spotrac.
There are rumors that Arizona could potentially release Murray, and Murray’s preference is to be released, per Henry McKenna of Fox Sports.
However, it’s unclear whether Arizona would be willing to do that, given its responsibility for a dead cap hit of $54,718,177. If they have even considered it, Arizona could be willing to eat a large chunk of the contract in a trade to get something in return, rather than releasing him for nothing.
Murray figures to be one of the most intriguing quarterback names to watch for in the trade market, alongside Mac Jones, Anthony Richardson, Tua Tagovailoa, Tyson Bagent, and Tanner McKee.
It remains to be seen if he plays with a different team for the first time in his career in 2026, but interested teams will be keeping a close eye on what Arizona decides to do with the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback.
