What's long been rumored is now official: Kyler Murray is signing a one-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Murray had been linked to Minnesota for weeks, ever since it became clear that the Arizona Cardinals were in fact set on releasing the former No. 1 overall pick, and now he'll look to reignite an offense that stagnated amid J.J. McCarthy's struggles last season.
Getting a quarterback of Murray's caliber for the league minimum is unequivocally a home run for Kevin O'Connell and Co. For all the flak he's taken over the course of his career, and for all of the ways in which he's failed to hit his ceiling to this point in his career, Murray remains at worst an average NFL starter, and while the fit in O'Connell's scheme remains to be seen, the floor he provides should do wonders for a roster that still has plenty of talent.
That said, McCarthy wasn't the only thing that went wrong in Minnesota last season. There are still holes to be filled, positions that are getting a little bit long in the tooth, and to truly cash in on their year of dirt-cheap QB play, the Vikings are going to have to stay aggressive for the rest of the offseason.
Trade J.J. McCarthy for draft capital
We'll start with the easy one. Sure, you can never have too many good quarterbacks, and sure we just saw last year how quickly a team's season can be undone by a lack of a backup plan. But come on: Going after Murray specifically — not just a veteran to provide camp competition but a guy who's established himself as no worse than an average NFL starter — signals that Minnesota does not have faith in McCarthy to be their QB of the future.
And if that's the case, what do you gain by holding on to him? There are plenty of ways to find a more suitable backup situation than Max Brosmer. McCarthy isn't helping you in that role, if you don't trade him now, you burn one more year of his rookie contract and tank any value he might have on the market. The Vikings aren't going to get a haul for him, but he's just two years removed from being a top-10 pick and missed his entire rookie year due to injury. Someone will be willing to take a chance.
Keep Jonathan Greenard (but add on the interior)
When "half the league" is interested in acquiring one of your players, maybe that's a sign that said player shouldn't actually be on the block at all. I understand the cap situation in Minnesota, but Greenard is too valuable to a defense that doesn't have a ton of depth behind him at EDGE.
Don't let the deflated sack rate last season fool you: Greenard is still very, very good at getting after the passer, and he's still in his prime at age 29 with two reasonable years remaining on his contract. The Vikings should be exploring every other possible avenue to free up space, because it's hard to see them contending in 2026 without Greenard as their best pass rusher (not to mention that Andrew Van Ginkel will be a free agent next offseason).
More pressing is the interior of the defensive line, where Jalen Redmond came on strong last season but the team is looking to pivot after moving on from Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. Someone like Iowa State's Domonique Orange could make sense as a Day 2-3 draft pick, and there are still free agents out there like DJ Reader and Sebastian Joseph-Day.
Draft a new starting center
Even before Ryan Kelly's retirement, the Vikings were going to need to start getting proactive at the pivot. The good news is that this draft class is rich with not just centers but centers who have tons of starting experience and should be ready to step into an NFL lineup in year one.
Auburn's Connor Lew, a three-year starter in the SEC, would make a ton of sense with Minnesota's second-round pick, and Iowa's Logan Jones and Florida's Jake Slaughter are also potential fits. It's almost time to start keeping an eye on getting younger at tackle, too, but center is one of the more obvious needs on this roster at the moment.
Plan for the future at safety
DC Brian Flores loves him some safeties, and while both Josh Metellus and Jay Ward have done yeoman's work in Minnesota, they're far from perfect players — and there isn't a ton of depth behind them, either.
This could be another spot for the Vikings to target in the draft, maybe with Oregon's Dillon Thieneman early or LSU's AJ Haulcy later on. There are also some bargain free agents remaining out there, like Kyle Dugger, Andre Cisco or Geno Stone. Minnesota doesn't need to break the bank here, but they could use at least one more reliable body.