Former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray’s tenure as the Minnesota Vikings‘ starter has ended at the trade deadline. The Vikings completed a trade to reunite with Kirk Cousins, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
That means Murray’s tenure with Minnesota will last just six starts at quarterback. The Vikings went 5-1 in his six starts, but never scored more than 23 points when he was their primary passer.
The trade was also likely forced due to his own injury. Murray suffered a Grade 2 hamstring strain in their Week 8 loss to the Detroit Lions. He was previously knocked out of his Vikings debut with a concussion, which caused him to miss the next game.
At one point, Murray was considered a franchise quarterback. He led the Cardinals to a playoff appearance in 2021 and was named to two Pro Bowls. However, injuries have derailed his career as he aged.
Kyler Murray’s Exit From Vikings Follows Similar Pattern to Cardinals Tenure
Injuries and a lack of strong performances played a role in why the Cardinals cut ties with Murray this offseason. He missed the final 12 games of the 2025 season with a Lisfranc injury, then was released in March as a cap casualty.
Arizona has changing head coaches in the offseason, going from Jonathan Gannon to Mike LaFleur. That resulted in changes to the quarterback room. With a new coach on a team that bottomed out in 2025, it made no sense to keep an expensive cap hit for a player who wasn’t going to move the needle forward for them.
After Arizona cut ties with Murray, he signed a free-agent deal with the Vikings. He won the starting job over JJ McCarthy.
It’s unclear what’s next for Murray. Since the Cardinals took him first overall in 2019, he’s always been the starter. It’s unlikely the Vikings will cut the eighth-year passer loose at this point, meaning he’ll likely back up Cousins to finish the season.
His career is at a crossroads after tough exits from Arizona and Minnesota. Given the lack of quality options at the position, another team will take a flyer on him in the offseason to see if he still has any magic left.
Cardinals QB Room Entering Week 10
The Cardinals haven’t fared well since letting Kyler Murray leave in the offseason. They’re down to their third quarterback after Brissett struggled as the starter and Gardner Minshew II suffered a potential season-ending injury in his one start.
They’re now in a position where they have to start rookie third-rounder Carson Beck. Beck played plenty of college football, but he’s in for a tough test in his first NFL season.
With major changes to the quarterback room, the Cardinals signed two this week. Josh Johnson, a 14-year veteran, will serve as the veteran option behind Beck. But they’ve also added rookie Joey Aguilar. Aguilar was an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee and UCLA.
The Cardinals don’t have much experience, with only 11 starts in that QB room. So the final eight weeks of the season will essentially be a prolonged evaluation period for Beck. But he’s entering about as hard a landing as possible, given injuries around him on offense.
Ex-Cardinals QB Kyler Murray Gets Brutal News After Vikings Trade