While he took only nine snaps in New York, Saturday’s preseason opener brought a new sense of reality for Kyler Murray. He is the starting quarterback for a different NFL franchise. Yes, the official move from Arizona to Minnesota occurred in March. But everything gets more real when you hop on a new plane and throw on a new jersey. “I talked to my family this weekend, and just how spending seven years in one spot, everything for me has been brand new this weekend,” Murray said after the Vikings’ 13-10 win over the Giants. “From getting on a bus with new faces to traveling on an airplane, a new plane, new seat, new operation. And I’m just really embracing what’s new for me.” So, how’d it go? “Today was a blast, man,” Murray said after the game. “Today was a blast.” Murray has been on all sides of the preseason playing time spectrum in the past, from light work to zero reps. But he noted Saturday was the most excited he’s ever been for the exhibition campaign. It was his first live action since October of 2025. “Just really taking advantage of the opportunity, seeing that as a blessing and just coming out here, getting to touch the field again, there’s nothing like it,” Murray said. “I was just looking around pregame and just really soaking it in.” And then executing. Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said his newly-minted starter “had command” of the offense during the opening series, from his strike to Jordan Addison on an out round for a third-down conversion to simply running the show and moving the offense into field goal range. It wasn’t perfect – Murray and Aaron Jones saw two different things on a short route that led to a third-down incompletion that ultimately forced the Vikings to settle for a field goal. But there was far more good than bad. In his first start in a fresh offensive system, Murray – who seemed to gain far more command of the offense after being named the starter early last week – noted the Vikings “handled communication well” on Saturday. “I thought we handled our checks, operations were great, the o-line did their thing,” Murray said. Especially in the run game, where both Jones and Jordan Mason ripped off chunk gains. But that has to be paired with the types of third-down throws Murray hit with Addison to sustain drives. Everything worked in unison. “That’s where we’re going to need to be. And then as you’re able to do that with that same group in there, hopefully, drive in and drive out (in regular season games), then you start getting some of the pretty conducive looks to maybe get to some other things in your arsenal,” O’Connell said. “But to me, we wanted to come in here and see that group go out and run the football. They were able to do that.” O’Connell credited Murray’s work “above the neck” with his ability to handle the checks and playcalls, his communication and control of the huddle. “There was a lot of really positive things that we saw out of that first group,” O’Connell said. The coach admitted it took “everything” in him to not trot Murray and Co. out for a second series Saturday, but they’d done everything they needed to accomplish. This was only the first run – a foundational block from which to build for months to come. “When you’re out there, when the lights are bright, it’s who can perform, who can’t. I think that it’s good for us to come out here and get our feet wet,” Murray said. “I’m just excited for what’s to come.” Related Articles
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