Kyler Murray has officially been the Minnesota Vikings‘ starting quarterback for six days. However, some think the writing was on the wall for a lot longer, as he’s long been favored to win the starting job as soon as he put pen to paper with the front office.
However, with Murray only playing on a one-year contract, they will be left with a decision again next offseason. Murray has all he needs to succeed in the Twin Cities, and how well he performs with his strong supporting cast will help the team decide where to go from here.
ESPN’s Seth Walder believes the 29-year-old is going to make the most of his opportunity this season. He predicted that Murray would lock down the QB position through the 2029 season.
“Murray will be the Vikings’ quarterback through at least 2029. If 2026 goes well, as I think it will, I imagine Murray and the Vikings will decide it’s best to stay together. And the team might be hesitant to let another established signal-caller walk out the door after what happened with Sam Darnold.” Walker wrote.
Kyler Murray Has MASSIVE Financial Motivation This Season
The starting quarterback market has absolutely ballooned over the past five years. 12 quarterbacks currently make more than $50 million per year. Four more signal-callers make more than $30 million per year. That’s half the starters in the league, and the vast majority of the other half are still on their rookie contracts.
If Murray enjoys a bounce-back season in Minnesota, then he will firmly be in the $35 to $50 million per year range when he looks to put pen to paper again next offseason. That’s just a fact based on the current quarterback market.
Conversely, if he falls flat, he’ll probably be looking at a deal between $7 and $12 million per year. That’s the high-end backup QB range. Purple Daily’s Phil Mackey thinks that discrepancy will be a major factor in seeing him bring his A-game this season.
“You could make a case that not many quarterbacks in the history of the NFL have a wider variance of what could happen financially in six months from now than Kyler Murray,” Mackey said. “Because if he plays well, then he heads to unrestricted free agency, likely being offered $100 million to $200 million on a multi-year contract. If he doesn’t play well, he’s in backup territory.”
Vikings Will Still Need To Be Smart About Avoiding A Potential Trap
The Vikings made a mistake by not re-signing Sam Darnold, who signed with Seattle for a relatively cheap $33 million per year, during the 2025 offseason. Darnold leading the Seahawks to the Super Bowl in his first season in the Pacific Northwest was a cruel twist of fate for the Twin Cities.
If Murray thrives and earns himself a healthy raise next offseason, then fans would surely have Déjà vu seeing him sign elsewhere. Losing two quarterbacks over the span of three years in a similar fashion would undoubtedly be difficult to fathom. However, you’d have to think Murray’s camp knows that, and they could use that as leverage in negotiations.
If the Vikings cave, they could be in a situation where they’re paying Murray $55 million per year for one season of quality play. Five QBs (Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Matt Stafford, Trevor Lawrence, Jordan Love) currently make that salary, and they’re all a lot more proven than Murray. While it would hurt to lose him if he thrives, grossly overpaying him could be an even bigger death knell if they don’t play their cards right.
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