Numerous outsiders continue to believe it is a matter of when and not if the Minnesota Vikings will name free-agency signing Kyler Murray their 2026 Week 1 starting quarterback over third-year pro J.J. McCarthy.
During a Wednesday appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show,” former NFL quarterback and current analyst Ryan Fitzpatrick shared a warning for the Vikings about Murray’s future.
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“I think his best year with Minnesota will be his first year, and if they keep him after that, it’s going to trail off because some of the issues that came up in Arizona are going to be the same issues that follow him,” Fitzpatrick said about Murray, per Eduardo Razo of Heavy.
Fitzpatrick seemingly was referencing how Murray’s work ethic was routinely questioned and criticized during his tenure with the Arizona Cardinals, which ran from the 2019 draft through the 2025 campaign. This past winter, one of Murray’s former teammates insisted that at least the New York Jets would not “want Kyler Murray as [their] quarterback.” Later in the offseason, former NFL executive Louis Riddick openly questioned Murray’s “commitment” and “leadership.”
It’s also worth noting that Murray has a concerning injury history. Most recently, he made just five starts last season before the Cardinals shut him down because of a lingering foot issue.
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“I don’t know that it’s a maturity issue,” Fitzpatrick added during the segment. “I just think, with Kyler Murray, what are his strengths? All the things that you can measure, those are the things that he’s always been unbelievable at. I think it’s just been some of the intangibles where he has struggled, fitting into a locker room and being able to elevate a team to the next level. So I just think in Year 1, you’re
not going to have to worry about those things because they’ll take care of themselves. It’s easy in Year 1 because everything is new. As you go on in the same spot for multiple years, those things become much more important. That’s what I’m saying as to why I think this year is going to be great, but it’s going to be a one-year experiment that starts out great and tails off from there.”
Murray’s contract includes a no-franchise tag provision, so whether or not he is with the Vikings at this time next year may not be Minnesota’s call. Such discussions can be punted down the road for now, as Murray hasn’t yet defeated McCarthy in the competition for the starting job that will resume when training camps open later in July.
