Latest intel regarding Minnesota Vikings pursuit of Kyler Murray shows how serious Kevin O’Connell was about landing him

It certainly feels like J.J. McCarthy’s time in Minnesota is ending.

Tyler Forness — NFL & College Football News Writer
Add as preferred source on Google
Sep 14, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) speaks with Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell during the first half against the Atlanta Falcons at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

We all know that the Minnesota Vikings wanted to add Kyler Murray to the roster. It was rumored during the NFL Scouting Combine and continued until pen hit paper on Thursday, March 12th.

Throughout the entirety of that discussion, there were a lot of questions about whether or not he fit what head coach Kevin O’Connell wanted to do on offense. Murray has mostly ran an Air Raid-inspired attack, while O’Connell prefers a West Coast offense inspired by Sean McVay and Mike Shanahan. Will they end up meshing? O’Connell’s been willing to adapt his scheme for other quarterbacks, and that will likely happen for Murray.

Minnesota Vikings considered second year for Kyler Murray’s contract

The Vikings signed Murray to a one-year deal worth the league minimum of $1.3 million. Even so, they considered adding a second year to the deal, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.

“Murray, Brezinski, O’Connell, Burkhardt and a few others had lunch in the draft room, the Vikings’ brass broke off for a final meeting with the doctors, and then O’Connell pulled Murray aside and told him he wanted him to come aboard. Murray responded, “This is where I want to be.” And from there, Brezinski and Burkhardt went to negotiate a relatively simple deal on the minimum, with a second year briefly explored, and a no-tag provision included.

And while Murray still has to win the job from McCarthy, what O’Connell said to Murray did stick with him—that he was the one guy on the market that they could see as a potential longer-range answer, rather than a one-year Band-Aid. The idea of growing with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Christian Darrisaw and O’Connell and his staff was already wildly attractive to begin with. The chance to, perhaps, put down roots only made it more so.”

The second year of the contract is quite a fascinating one. It shows how serious O’Connell was about him coming on board, not just for one year, but for longer than that. In essence, it was O’Connell showing how he was far from being sold that J.J. McCarthy is the future of the franchise.

J.J. McCarthy could be done in Minnesota

This information certainly signals that the McCarthy era is over. If they were that serious about him still being the future of the team, a second-year for Murray wouldn’t have been discussed much at all, especially since a good season would give him a massive contract next year.

After the signing, I wrote about how McCarthy’s tenure in Minnesota could be over.

“What are those timelines? Well, it certainly seems to me that the timeline for McCarthy being a starting quarterback is now different because the Vikings need to win now. Despite having a 43-25 regular season record, not a single playoff win is weighing heavily on the minds of everyone involved. Going with the inconsistent McCarthy doesn’t exactly scream consistency in any way. Now, Murray doesn’t either, but it’s a different player, which can often be overlooked due to talent and it being a shiny new toy.

Plus, there is the element of messaging after general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was fired, in which all the blame was placed on him for the Vikings’ quarterback issues, including the selection and start of McCarthy in 2025. That certainly doesn’t track with O’Connell having extensive control with who the Vikings wanted at quarterback, including being dubbed as the “quarterback killer” in previous offseasons.

Is it the best move for the Vikings to move on from the McCarthy era so soon? That’s up to you to decide, but make no mistake about it. The McCarthy era, as we once knew it, is over, and he may never start a game for the Vikings again.”

Even though it’s only a few days into the Murray era, it’s certainly turning into him being the future of the franchise.

Related Articles