Kyler Murray‘s first appearance in a Minnesota Vikings uniform lasted only one series. Collectors, however, have already been making a much bigger bet on what comes next.
Murray’s football cards have drawn renewed activity since Minnesota signed the former No. 1 overall pick in March, with another jolt coming after head coach Kevin O’Connell named him the Vikings’ starting quarterback over J.J. McCarthy on August 11.
Jeff Morris of Sports Collectors Daily reported August 16 that more than 500 Murray cards sold on eBay on March 12, the day Minnesota signed him. Morris also found that 15 Murray cards had sold for at least $1,000 over the previous 30 days, including some significant high-end rookie sales.
That doesn’t mean Murray’s entire card market has suddenly returned to its early-career heights. It does show collectors are paying attention again, and essentially wagering that O’Connell and the Vikings can produce a second act for a quarterback whose career once appeared headed toward NFL stardom.
Kyler Murray Rookie Cards Get Another Look
The biggest transactions naturally involve cards few collectors will ever own.
Morris reported that a raw 2019 Immaculate Collection NFL Shield 1-of-1 sold for $2,500 two days after Murray joined the Vikings. A 2019 Panini Flawless NFL Shield Rookie Patch Autograph Platinum 1-of-1 then sold for $12,000 in May.
The renewed interest goes back to Murray’s unusually deep 2019 rookie-card class. Panini products such as Prizm, Donruss Optic, Contenders and Select all produced sought-after Murray rookies during a period when he was one of the hobby’s premier young quarterbacks.
The optimism wasn’t difficult to understand.
Arizona selected Murray first overall in 2019, and he immediately won AP Offensive Rookie of the Year. He followed that with consecutive Pro Bowl selections in 2020 and 2021.
Murray has now accumulated 20,460 passing yards and 121 touchdown passes while adding 3,193 yards and 32 scores on the ground. His career changed direction after those early seasons, however, amid injuries and instability in Arizona. He played only five games in 2025 before his Cardinals tenure ended.
That history makes the current buying different from the speculation surrounding Murray as a rookie.
Collectors aren’t betting on an unknown prospect anymore. They’re betting that an accomplished but diminished quarterback can become valuable again.
And part of that wager is really a bet on O’Connell.
Vikings Give Murray a Chance to Change His Career — Again
Murray openly cited O’Connell as one of Minnesota’s attractions after signing with the Vikings in March, pointing to the coach’s previous success with quarterbacks and calling him one of the NFL’s top offensive minds.
Five months later, Murray won the job.
O’Connell said the Vikings reached their decision after what he called a complete evaluation of the quarterback competition. He cited Murray’s accuracy, athleticism, experience and ability to absorb Minnesota’s offense.
But the Vikings also have been careful not to portray the decision as the end of McCarthy’s story.
O’Connell said naming Murray the starter did not diminish McCarthy’s progress and called the 2024 first-round pick an “incredibly important member” of the quarterback room. McCarthy went 6-4 in 10 starts during an injury-interrupted 2025 season.
That creates some genuine risk behind the enthusiasm surrounding Murray’s cards.
A strong start to the regular season could reinforce the comeback narrative and put more attention on a rookie-card market that had largely cooled during Murray’s final years in Arizona. Poor play, another injury or an eventual move back toward McCarthy could produce the opposite effect.
Murray at least took the first step Saturday.
He completed 2 of 3 passes for 10 yards on Minnesota’s opening possession in a 13-10 preseason win over the New York Giants. O’Connell said afterward that Murray commanded the offense well, while Murray noted it was his first game action since October.
One preseason possession isn’t going to determine the value of a 2019 Prizm rookie or a five-figure one-of-one.
What happens after it might.
Murray’s cards were originally priced around what collectors thought the No. 1 pick could become. Seven years later, the Vikings have given those collectors something they haven’t had in a while: another reason to find out.
Like HEAVY's content?Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Kyler Murray Draws New Buzz After Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy Decision appeared first on HEAVY.