The Minnesota Vikings are once again entering another season with questions at quarterback. Former first-round pick J.J. McCarthy was tabbed to be the guy last year, but struggled through an uneven season. Now, Minnesota has brought in Kyler Murray in an attempt to revitalize the career of the former No. 1 overall pick.
While the team has yet to name a starter, plenty of folks have chimed in with their thoughts on the Vikings quarterback room.
Vikings legend Randy Moss shared his opinion on Minnesota’s quarterback situation in an interview with Bleacher Report, and seems to have a clear favorite.
“When you look at the success of the team, either good or bad, it has been because of the quarterback play,” Moss said. “You had Sam Darnold, you had Daniel Jones. But you go with the youngster McCarthy, and he was not able to provide that answer, so you had to go out and get a guy like Kyler Murray.”
“What I’m excited about is the opportunity in front of Kyler Murray,” said Moss. “He’s got a great wide receiver in Justin Jefferson, who now can try to regain his dominance as the No. 1 wide receiver in all of football. Kyler Murray also has something to prove. He was the future of the Arizona Cardinals, but they basically threw him away.”
Kyler Murray is Looking for a Career Revitalization in Minnesota
Neither McCarthy or Murray had much to write home about last season. While McCarthy struggled to adapt to the NFL game, Murray missed all but five games due to injury, eventually getting shut down in favor of Jacoby Brissett.
Moss, along with many others, think that the job is Murray’s to lose, and it’s easy to see why. At 67.1 percent, he’s one of the most accurate passers in NFL history, and levels above McCarthy’s 57 percent mark from last year. Murray also boasts an impressive six yards per carry on the ground, and remains a threat to run at any moment. So while things ended poorly in Arizona, the Vikings are hoping to recapture some of the magic in Minnesota.
Two Rookies Have a Chance to Make a Huge Impact in Year 1
While the McCarthy experiment appears short-lived, a slew of others are about to begin. The Vikings just wrapped up the 2026 NFL Draft, and added some potential stars on defense. Between defensive tackle Caleb Banks and second-round linebacker Jake Golday, there’s a chance that one could get some Rookie of the Year hype.
ESPN listed both as potential candidates, although admitted both were a longshot.
“No defensive tackle has won Rookie of the Year since Aaron Donald in 2014, and the only other tackle to do it this century was Ndamukong Suh,” wrote ESPN’s Ben Solak. “Banks is that sort of talent and an enticing bet accordingly. But he has a foot injury that’s impossible to overlook.”
While both players face an uphill battle towards earning the NFL’s top honors for rookies, it’s clear the Vikings have plenty of faith in their rebuilt front seven.
Vikings Legend Randy Moss Opens Up on the Kyler Murray Signing