Vikings host Kyler Murray on a free agent visit after he was cut by the Cardinals

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings are hosting Kyler Murray on a free agent visit, focusing their latest quarterback search on the first overall pick from the 2019 NFL draft who was just released by the Arizona Cardinals. The meeting Thursday was confirmed to The Associated Press by a person with knowledge of the situation. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team was not publicly commenting on it. The Cardinals cut Murray when the new league year began Wednesday, despite owing him $36.8 million in guaranteed salary for this season. The Vikings don't have many options this year to challenge or replace J.J. McCarthy, their 2024 first-round draft pick whose injuries and inconsistency has raised the question of how long they can afford to wait for him to develop, but Murray appears to be a viable one for coach Kevin O'Connell. Murray, despite being sidetracked by recent injuries and questions about his work ethic, has two Pro Bowl selections, a 67% career completion percentage — and a bonus of 3,193 rushing yards with 32 touchdowns. After winning the Heisman Trophy at Oklahoma, Murray was voted the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and appeared to have the Cardinals on the upswing. He produced multiple electrifying highlights such as the "Hail Murray" in 2020, when he connected with DeAndre Hopkins for a game-winning touchdown pass against the Buffalo Bills on the game's final play. Murray passed for 400 yards in a Week 2 win over Minnesota in 2021, when Arizona started 10-2 before finishing 11-6. The Cardinals signed Murray to $230.5 million, five-year contract in 2022 with $160 million guaranteed, but the honeymoon after that hefty commitment was short. A few weeks after the deal was done, the Cardinals removed a strange clause in the contract, which mandated four hours of "independent study" during game weeks. The kerfuffle called into question Murray's work ethic, and his relationship with the franchise was never quite the same. Murray tore the ACL in his right knee late in the 2022 season, causing him to miss a big chunk of the 2023 schedule as Jonathan Gannon replaced Kliff Kingsbury as coach. The Gannon-Murray relationship held some promise in 2024 when the Cardinals improved to 8-9 and were in the playoff hunt until the final few weeks of the season, but the 2025 season fell apart quickly. Murray played only five games because of an injury to his right foot that was initially believed to only need a few weeks for recovery. Veteran backup Jacoby Brissett performed well in his absence, Murray was eventually placed on injured reserve, and the Cardinals fired Gannon after tying for the league's worst record at 3-14. Murray, in a farewell post on social media last week after he was informed the Cardinals would cut him, expressed regret he only led the team to the playoffs once in seven seasons, a wild-card round loss in 2021 to the eventual Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams. "I truly believe my best ball is in front of me and I look forward to proving it," Murray wrote. After missing his entire rookie season while recovering from knee surgery, McCarthy had an ankle sprain, a concussion and a broken hand in 2025 that limited him to 10 starts and only eight games finished. Even when he was healthy, the struggles with accuracy were pronounced enough to force the Vikings to consider alternatives despite the significant potential on display. After winging it with Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer as the backups last year, O'Connell and the Vikings realized they at least needed better depth if they're going to run McCarthy back in 2026. McCarthy, for his part, sounded aware that his hold on the starting job is tenuous, too.