Kyler Murray signs with Vikings, joins J.J. McCarthy in QB room - ESPN

EAGAN, Minn. — Former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray signed a contract with the Minnesota Vikings, the team announced Thursday.

Murray will become part of a QB room in Minnesota that includes former No. 10 pick J.J. McCarthy.

The deal is for one season, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. The Vikings will pay $1.3 million of the $36.8 million Murray had already been guaranteed via his contract with the Cardinals, who agreed March 3 to release him. The move was not official until Wednesday, but the Vikings decided weeks before that Murray would be near the top of their priority list in seeking competition for McCarthy.

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They were also interested in veteran quarterback Geno Smith, but the Las Vegas Raiders traded Smith to the New York Jets before he had a chance to reach free agency.

Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell has spoken extensively this offseason about McCarthy and the team's quarterback depth. O'Connell has never said he wanted to replace McCarthy, but he also hasn't said he wanted McCarthy to be his 2026 starter. Executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski, who has been serving as interim general manager after the firing of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, made clear that the team wouldn't rule out any options in its quest for better quarterback play in 2026.

McCarthy has started only 10 games in two seasons since the Vikings made him the No. 10 pick of the 2024 draft. He has dealt with four separate injuries in his pro career, including a torn right meniscus that sidelined him for the 2024 season. His QBR of 35.6 last season ranked No. 24 of 26 NFL quarterbacks who started at least 10 games.

The Vikings allowed Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones to leave via free agency in