The Minnesota Vikings may still be suffering through regrets over letting Sam Darnold walk for JJ McCarthy, then trading McCarthy to make Kyler Murray the starter. Meanwhile, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore might also be rueing his decision to return to college in 2026 rather than make the NFL leap during last April’s draft.
But good things come to those who wait, at least sometimes, and while Moore may not find himself earning the same money next season as he would have as the No. 2 pick of the New York Jets or No. 3 selection of the Arizona Cardinals this time around, he could still end up earning a first-round salary while playing for a Super Bowl contender in Minnesota.
That is how Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report projected things will play out in his mock draft on Wednesday, October 14.
“Kyler Murray could earn a contract extension this offseason depending on how the Minnesota Vikings finish the campaign,” Sobleski wrote. “Murray has transitioned well into Kevin O’Connell’s scheme, while the coach continues to implement plays that help accentuate the quarterback’s strengths. Even if Murray does re-sign, Oregon’s Dante Moore isn’t unfamiliar with sitting for a year, and the Vikings could have a succession plan in place after their last attempt went awry.”
Kyler Murray Hard Sell Longterm for Vikings Whether He Finishes Season Well, Poorly
A few quibbles with Sobleski’s take on Murray: First, the QB has NOT transitioned well into O’Connell’s scheme, though he has played a solid five quarters in a row — so that’s something.
But re-signing Murray, whether he finishes out the remainder of the campaign well or poorly, has always been a tricky proposition for the Vikings. The Cardinals are paying Murray north of $35 million to play in Minnesota this season, while the Vikings are paying the QB a league-minimum deal of $1.3 million.
Part of Murray’s contract involves a clause that disallows the Vikings from applying the franchise tag to him in 2027, which means no expensive one-year prove it deal. If he puts up a good season, Minnesota is going to have to overpay him on an extension, lest Murray move into free agency come next March.
He has plenty of physical gifts, but athleticism ages poorly at the QB position (or really anywhere else) in the NFL. So while Murray’s arm isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, his legs are/will and his height is also going to remain a problem.
Murray is injury-prone as well, which makes a four-year deal in the neighborhood of $40-$50 million annually that the market might actually dictate for Murray if he plays well over the final 12 games of the campaign, equates to too much risk for the Vikings to responsibly assume — and that’s without even mentioning the opportunity cost (the players the team could spend that same money on to acquire elsewhere across the roster).
And if Murray plays poorly to finish out the year, then the Vikings will not extend him regardless.
Dante Moore Has Skill Set to Become Elite NFL Quarterback
All of that points to Minnesota looking for a new franchise QB yet again in 2027. And while any potential trade or free agency add would likely prove both expensive and limiting in terms of the upward mobility of the offense’s ceiling, a talented prospect in a deep draft class dropping to the bottom of the first round — as Moore may well do — offers a fortuitous solution.
Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN authored his first draft big board of the year on Thursday, during which he named Moore the No. 25 overall prospect across all positions and an honorable mention just outside the top five QB prospects (No. 7 to be exact) alongside Arch Manning of Texas.
“When Moore is at the top of his game, he’s an impressive passer. He changes arm angles, he’s mechanically sound, he displays precise ball placement, and there’s good touch on his deep ball,” Kiper wrote. “Throws look effortless because of his arm strength, and he can deliver strikes while rolling out. There’s even some scramble ability there. The toolbox is full.”
Moore has more to prove against elite competition, while he has also been sidelined for weeks due to a concussion he suffered against USC in September.
But that said, Moore has completed 66.4 percent of his 732 career pass attempts at the collegiate level for 6,150 yards, 50 TDs and 19 INTs.
Vikings Projected to Supplant Kyler Murray With 7th-Ranked QB