The Minnesota Vikings finally got their quarterback. One frustrating year of J.J. McCarthy was enough for the Vikings front office to make a drastic move for an instant replacement. With Kyler Murray, Minnesota has good reason to feel like they have an upgrade. The question becomes, where does this land them in the NFC power rankings going into next season?Â
If anybody knows how difficult the NFC West division is, it’s Murray. His addition to the Vikings certainly puts them in contention to be one of the top teams in the NFC, but how strong does it make them? The San Francisco 49ers upgraded their offense and the Los Angeles Rams overhauled their secondary. The NFC projects to be loaded, and with Murray the new presumptive starter in Minnesota, it now makes the Vikings once again contenders in the NFC.
NFC power rankings: Vikings instant contenders with Kyler Murray addition
TEAM | 2025 RECORD |
|---|---|
1. Los Angeles Rams | 12-5 |
2. San Francisco 49ers | 12-5 |
3. Minnesota Vikings | 9-8 |
4. Chicago Bears | 11-6 |
5. Philadelphia Eagles | 11-6 |
6. Seattle Seahawks | 14-3 |
7. Detroit Lions | 9-8 |
8. Carolina Panthers | 8-9 |
9. Washington Commanders | 5-12 |
10. Green Bay Packers | 9-7-1 |
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 8-9 |
12. Dallas Cowboys | 7-9-1 |
13. Atlanta Falcons | 8-9 |
14. New York Giants | 4-13 |
15. New Orleans Saints | 6-11 |
16. Arizona Cardinals | 3-14 |
The Los Angeles Rams are the new top team in the NFC after their busy offseason. You can’t underestimate how important it was for them to add both Jaylen Watson and Trent McDuffie to their secondary. They also retained one of their first-round picks to continue to improve their defense (or take a swing at another offensive weapon). The Rams were already one of the top teams in the NFC before those moves and now they’re undisputed as the most complete roster in my eyes.
The 49ers made sure to get Brock Purdy a new weapon in Mike Evans. That will be important without both Jauan Jennings (for now, as he remains a free agent) and Brandon Aiyuk and with George Kittle coming off an Achilles injury. San Francisco should very well be in the conversation for the top of the conference again this upcoming season, assuming they stay healthy.Â
That leaves the Vikings. Without question, they’re one of the top four teams in the conference and truthfully could contend for No. 3 with Murray. It’s easy to overhype the move for Murray, but let’s be honest: The Vikings were 9-8 with a miserable season by McCarthy. Murray can play half as well as McCarthy did and the Vikings might be a 12-win team.Â
They should absolutely be a team that makes some noise if they stay healthy. When you look at the rest of the conference, outside of NFC West teams, it’s wide open. The Seattle Seahawks lost a lot from last year’s championship team, the NFC South as a whole is still a wild card and Philadelphia Eagles might not be as good as they have been in year one under a new OC (and potentially without AJ Brown).Â
Why Kyler Murray can lead the Minnesota Vikings to the top of the NFC in 2026Â
If Murray can resurrect the form from his first three seasons in the NFL, the Vikings might just have Sam Darnold 2.0. In that span, Murray eclipsed 3,700 passing yards and 20 passing touchdowns. That was with an average offense, mind you. He’s now inheriting a team that has Justin Jefferson as its star receiver.Â
The Vikings have served as the perfect rehabilitation organization for quarterbacks. Darnold was able to leave and lead his new team to a Super Bowl, and Daniel Jones was able to ink an $88 million extension that can swell to $100 million with the Colts. Murray won’t have to leave Minnesota if he learns a similar lesson. He’ll be able to be this team's starter for the foreseeable future.Â
The Vikings will be the best roster he’s ever played on, so he has every reason to thrive. And they need Murray more than he needs Minnesota. That’s why he will be the missing piece: This team ended the year with a five-game winning streak and finished 9-8, so Murray doesn’t have to be the hero.Â
He just has to find his weapons, protect the ball and showcase his dual-threat ability. What made Murray so dynamic with the Cardinals is his ability to create with his legs. Minnesota hasn’t quite had a quarterback like that, which is why he’s the perfect answer to their quarterback struggles.