The Minnesota Vikings will not play quarterback Kyler Murray in their preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday. This was reported by the Minnesota Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling on a podcast appearance on Tuesday.
Murray went two-of-three in Saturday’s contest against the New York Giants. He threw for 10 yards on the day. This included an opening drive that went for 10 plays and 54 yards. The drive ended in a 35-yard field goal, which was important as the Vikings won by a 13-10 margin.
As Gosling notes, the Vikings plan to use these next couple days of joint practice with the Ravens as more of a measuring stick in the preseason game itself.
Vikings Star Has Historically Not Played In Preseason
Historically speaking, Murray has not generally participated in preseason games. As the starter for the Arizona Cardinals, coaches often kept him out of the game. The quarterback has never rushed or thrown for a touchdown in a preseason game. Over the course of 23 career preseason games, he has not played in 18 overall, according to Fox Sports.
His best preseason game came against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2025. He went 11-of-17 on the afternoon and passed for 137 yards. By and large, the preseason has been more of a rest opportunity for Murray than anything else.
There were some encouraging things from the quarterback as far as Saturday’s preseason game against the Giants was concerned. Murray completed 1-of-3 passes and a seven-yard pass that kept the drive alive, showing his ability to make big plays and get the pass off accurately. Perhaps the most interesting part of this was that Murray took 6/9 steps cleanly under center. Shotgun was only used on three occasions on that drive. per the Daily Norseman. If anything, the quarterback looked comfortable on the drive.
Saturday’s Game Will Test Vikings Quarterbacks
Saturday’s game will give Carson Wentz and J. J McCarthy the chance to really show off their skill set once again. The two quarterbacks played at a high level against the Giants. Wentz in particular, really was able to show what he could do. He finished the game nine-of-14 passing, throwing for 81 yards, a touchdown, and had a 103.6 passer rating.
In the meantime, McCarthy struggled. He took part in three drives, going four-of-seven and passing for 34 yards on the afternoon. It was a difficult stretch for McCarthy, who has had a rough go of things over the past couple of weeks.
In any event, this will give both Wentz and McCarthy a chance to compete for the backup quarterback job. Wentz appears to have ascended into that role at the moment. However, situations like these are built for players like McCarthy, as he aims to win the backup quarterback job.
In all honesty, Murray not planning on Saturday may be a blessing for the Vikings. They will finally have the chance to be able to fully evaluate the quarterback position. By all accounts, he should be done for the preseason, as there are only three games on the slate. This next stretch of work will be important for the depth of the quarterback room, and it will be watched closely.
Vikings Reportedly Making Surprise Kyler Murray Decision