‘What Do You Think Green Bay Said?’ More Reasons to Be Pumped About Kyler Murray

In an offseason where the Vikings spent the second-least amount of money on outside free agents, only behind Philadelphia, they may have pulled off the most important signing of any team, according to one NFL analyst.

ESPN’s Seth Walder called the Kyler Murray signing by the Vikings an “absolute coup” at the most important position in the game, labeling it his best free agent signing of the offseason.. Days after being cut by the Cardinals after seven seasons, Murray inked a one-year, $1.3 million veteran minimum deal to join the Vikings.

“Minnesota just got a huge upgrade at quarterback for the veteran minimum,” Walder wrote.

After a roller coaster season in 2025, the Vikings made it known they were in the market for a veteran quarterback this offseason to come in and compete with former No. 10 overall pick J.J. McCarthy. The former Michigan QB struggled with consistency and staying on the field while the Vikings sputtered to a 9-7 record and missed the playoffs in 2025. Now with Murray, a quarterback who has shown MVP-caliber form in the past, Minnesota is once again primed to be a serious contender in the NFC North.

Murray is the latest quarterback to bring his talent to Minnesota in hopes of benefiting from the Kevin O’Connell School of QB Reclamation. Sam Darnold starred in Minnesota in 2024, which he turned into a big-money contract and a Super Bowl ring in Seattle last season. Daniel Jones spent a few months in the Vikings’ facility after a late-season release from New York in 2024. He used that to get a prove-it deal from Indianapolis the following offseason. Before suffering a season-ending injury, Jones was in the MVP conversation.

While those are good stories, Murray’s peak before coming to Minnesota was higher than the success either Darnold or Jones enjoyed in their previous stops, which should make O’Connell’s job easier.

In talking about the signing on his Fully Loaded podcast, Vikings legend Cris Carter got a little bit more explicit with what Murray’s addition to the Vikings means, and how the rest of the North is likely reacting to the signing.

“What do you think Green Bay said when [the Vikings] signed Kyler Murray? They said two words… ‘Oh s***,'” said Carter. “What do you think Chicago said? ‘Oh s***!'”

When asked by co-host Shawn Meaike if teams aren’t afraid of McCarthy, Carter responded, “Who do you want to play twice? J.J. McCarthy or Kyler Murray?”

If Murray can tap back into his previous level of play, the Vikings — with Murray having offensive weapons like Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson at his disposal — can be a force in the NFC North. On top of that, if Murray plays well, the Vikings have set themselves up to be able to dish out a long-term contract to the former No. 1 overall pick.

In attempting to recruit Murray to Minnesota, O’Connell allegedly told the former Cardinals quarterback that he sees him as a potential “longer-range answer” at the position, rather than a one-year Band-Aid. If the Vikings can get back to being competitive and find their franchise quarterback, then the Murray signing immediately goes down as not just the best overall signing of this offseason, but one of the best signings in franchise history.