On Sept. 3, the Minnesota Vikings announced their captains for the 2026 NFL season, with one of them being Kyler Murray. Despite being a newcomer to the Vikings after the Arizona Cardinals cut ties with him this past offseason, the former No. 1 pick is transitioning well to Minnesota.
Ahead of the Week 1 game against the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 13, Justin Jefferson spoke to the media on Sept. 9 and shared his thoughts on Murray being named captain.
“That’s self-explanatory,” Jefferson told reporters. “[Murray is] the starting quarterback of this team. He’s the leader. He’s the captain. Whatever he says goes. So that’s kind of been the method behind every single team.
“I feel like the starting quarterback is that leader of the team, and we look at him as that leader. So definitely looking forward to him being the leader on Sundays and leading this group into wins.”
Moreover, the Vikings star highlighted what has surprised him about Murray as a teammate, not that he’s gone through training camp and the preseason.
“I’ve known of Kyler for a while now, so I’ve kind of known his personality, just how he is as a person, as a player,” Jefferson added. “So nothing really surprised me. What surprised me is his arm talent, him being able to come out here and lead the guys every single day in practice, being vocal, and just being more of a leader than I’ve seen in Arizona.
“So it’s really cool just seeing him kind of step up into a role that we really needed him to be in.”
Vikings’ Justin Jefferson on Kyler Murray’s Arm Talent
Jefferson is hopeful that Murray’s arm talent can help him get back to producing numbers that many expect from the wideout. The Vikings star revealed what it’s like to be on the end of those throws.
“The strength of his arm, being able to throw long, deep throws and really zip it whenever he needs to as well,” Jefferson added. “I mean, everybody knows what he does with the ball in his hand, running the ball, but him being able to throw it into spots before the receiver even turns around.”
Kyler Murray Gets Clear Advice for Packers Game
Despite many being high on the marriage between Murray and head coach Kevin O’Connell, former Vikings offensive guard Jeremiah Sirles issued clear advice for the 29-year-old ahead of his first game against Green Bay.
“Taking care of the football,” Sirles said on the Sept. 8 edition of the “Purple Insider” about what Murray needs to do against the Packers. “That’s the number one thing I’m looking for with Kyler Murray. Can we make sure we make good decisions with the football, get the ball out on time, and don’t hold on to it and take a bad sack because everyone’s covered?
“Those are such elementary quarterback plays that you think are pretty average. But you’re talking about a guy who hasn’t played football in a while. [He] got benched the last half of that year. The game, preseason, everything, the game speeds up exponentially. Crazy amounts between preseason and Week 1. Watching him get through his reads, put the ball not in harm’s way, and then take care of it and operationally move the offense up and down.”
Vikings’ Justin Jefferson Gets Blunt Over Kyler Murray Captain Decision