Kyler Murray at the center of the questions around the Vikings in 2026

The Minnesota Vikings bet on a seamless transition whe J.J. McCarthy took over the QB1 job from Sam Darnold last season. That, of course, blew up in their face, as the Vikings finished 9-8 and missed the playoffs. Meanwhile, Darnold and the Seahawks won the Super Bowl.

Returning to the playoffs hinges on improved quarterback play in 2026, and that led Minnesota to sign Kyler Murray in free agency. The former No. 1 overall pick had a rough ending to his tenure with the Arizona Cardinals, but the Vikings hope that Kevin O'Connell and a change of scenery can help Murray return to his Pro Bowl-level from 2021, says Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports.

Kyler Murray will, in all likelihood, be the Vikings' starter in 2026 after signing with the club this offseason. He'll take over for J.J. McCarthy, who struggled mightily as the starter in 2025, and Murray is now tasked with bringing Minnesota back to relevancy. Outside of quarterback, Minnesota has the talent to contend for a Super Bowl. In 2024, with Sam Darnold under center, the Vikings were 14-3 and playing for the No. 1 seed in the conference in Week 18. They'll now look to Murray to possibly rekindle that magic they had with Darnold and push them over the top in the NFC North.

This all sounds good, but there is a reason Murray was available to sign. Injuries played a role in his regression over the past four seasons, and if they resurface, the Vikings could be in trouble in 2026.

Murray has played 12-plus games just once in the last four seasons, so durability will be a big concern as he looks to revitalize his career and save the Vikings from seeing their championship window vanish.