Vikings appoint Murray as Week 1 starter over McCarthy
Murray replaces J.J. McCarthy, who finished last in key 2025 metrics, marking the fourth different starter for Minnesota since 2023.
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has named Kyler Murray the starting quarterback for Week 1, selecting him over incumbent J.J. McCarthy. The decision was announced on Tuesday, prior to the team’s preseason opener against the New York Giants, with neither player having appeared in the game.
Murray, a two-time Pro Bowler, replaces McCarthy, who finished last in the NFL in completion percentage, touchdown-to-interception ratio, and passer rating during the 2025 season. McCarthy’s performance made him the only first-round pick quarterback since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger to finish last in the league in both completion percentage and touchdown-to-interception ratio in his debut season.
This appointment marks the fourth different Week 1 starting quarterback for the Vikings over the last four years, following Kirk Cousins in 2023, Sam Darnold in 2024, and McCarthy last year. The shift concludes what has been described as the NFL’s most anticlimactic quarterback competition, with O’Connell making the call without requiring either candidate to suit up in the preseason opener.
Murray brings significant statistical volume to the role, recording 20,460 passing yards and 32 rushing touchdowns in his first seven NFL seasons. He is one of only four players in league history to achieve such numbers, alongside Cam Newton, Lamar Jackson, and Josh Allen. However, his recent history includes missing 30 of 68 possible games between 2022 and 2025 due to injuries, including the final 12 games of 2025 with a foot injury.
The Vikings’ offensive structure under O’Connell, part of the Shanahan tree, utilises under-center formations and heavy play-action passing to simplify defensive diagnosis for the quarterback. Murray will be supported by a receiving corps that includes Justin Jefferson, one of only three players in NFL history to total 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first six seasons, alongside Jordan Addison and Jauan Jennings.
Despite the talent surrounding him, Murray’s durability remains a concern. At 29 years old, entering his eighth season, he has struggled with lower-body injuries that threaten his primary asset: mobility. In five games played for the Cardinals in 2025, Murray averaged a career-low 227.0 total yards per game, raising questions about his ability to withstand a full season in the physical NFC North.
