With a very underwhelming season by McCarthy (and most of the team, to be fair), the Vikings once again looked to add competition. But this time, the former Michigan won’t be the presumed starter.
Kyler Murray didn’t have the career the Cardinals hoped for when they selected him 1st overall in 2019, but he’s a talented QB who is only 28 years old. He wouldn’t sign if he weren’t going to be the starter. This means the Vikings will have to decide on McCarthy with little evidence.
 passes the ball against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half at CenturyLink Field. Arizona defeated Seattle 27-13. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports</p><p>” data-large-file=”/cdn-cgi/image/width=1180,height=785,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/USATSI_13829903.jpg” src=”http://vikingsterritory.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=788,height=444,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/USATSI_13829903.jpg” alt><figcaption>Dec 22, 2019; Seattle, Washington, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) passes the ball against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half at CenturyLink Field. Arizona defeated Seattle 27-13. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure></div><p>To me, there are three ways this season can go. Starting with the two extremes, Murray can have a phenomenal season. I’m talking MVP candidate, deep playoff run, phenomenal. In this instance, giving him a long-term contract becomes a no-brainer, and McCarthy is on the trade block. Or he can struggle mightily, <a href=)
opening up the doors for McCarthy to start again.Although I’d obviously prefer the first scenario, both at least tell you something. Either you have Murray long-term, or McCarthy becomes the starter, and you have more games to watch his growth (or lack thereof).
The worst possible scenario is Murray starting and having an “okay” season. He won’t be good enough to lead the team somewhere or justify a new contract, and also won’t be bad enough for O’Connell to consider a mid-season change.
The new GM would have to decide on McCarthy’s fifth-year option without even seeing him play. The only evidence would be him practicing with backups during the season and KOC’s opinion on his mechanics and development.
And that’s how you delay a decision. A very important one, by the way. I’m not saying the Vikings shouldn’t have signed Murray. Quite the opposite, actually. For the league minimum, not signing him would almost be malpractice. But it doesn’t change the fact that, unless we see an extreme scenario, the 2027 offseason will have the same discussion.
Henrique Gucciardi
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