Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) is introduced before playing against the San Francisco 49ers at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Dec. 17, 2023. © Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK.
The Minnesota Vikings’ 2024 offseason is around the bend and will begin immediately following Week 18 or after the club loses a playoff game.
Minnesota has about 25% odds of reaching the postseason, needing to win its next two games while hoping the Los Angeles Rams or Seattle Seahawks lost a single game of their remaining four.
On Thursday, the Vikings became the number-one-with-a-bullet team to eventually acquire Russell Wilson, according to sportsbooks, after reports indicated the Denver Broncos will move on from the veteran in a couple of months. Then on Friday, Kyler Murray was introduced to the Vikings’ rumor mill, a first-of-its-kind situation, at least by a major media entity.
The Arizona Cardinals will likely finish the season with a Top 2 draft pick in 2024, and with a new leadership regime, some believe Arizona will trade Murray and draft a quarterback like Caleb Williams (USC) or Drake Maye (North Carolina) in April.
And according to CBS Sports, the Murray trade recipient could be the Vikings. The trade package to the Cardinals was actually quite reasonable, and if the hypothetical ordeal came true, Minnesota might actually take the plunge.
CBS Sports‘ Chris Trapasso authored the mock draft that sent Murray to Minnesota, outlining this trade package:
Vikings Get:
Kyler Murray
2025 6th-Round Pick
Cardinals Get:
2024 2nd-Round Pick
2024 5th-Round Pick
2025 Conditional 4th-Round Pick
Trapasso then sent Drake Maye to Arizona in his mock draft and explained, “Maye is a pure pocket passer with mobility and the full franchise quarterback skill set. After the Murray trade, this is the logical decision for Arizona.”
At a hefty contractual price, Murray would instantly afford the Vikings quarterback legitimacy, totally skipping the rookie quarterback process that most Vikings fans expect the franchise to undertake in this year’s draft. Adding Murray via trade would be tricky for the budget — he signed a five-year, $230.5 million extension in 2022 — especially when Justin Jefferson, Danielle Hunter, and Christian Darrisaw, for example, need new contracts.
But if there’s a will, there’s a way, and bartering for Murray would ensure the Vikings don’t swing and miss on a rookie quarterback like Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen, or Trey Lance in recent drafts.
Murray ranks 31st of 32 qualifying quarterbacks per EPA+CPOE so far in 2023. He grew up as a Vikings fan:
The 2024 NFL Draft will occur in Detroit on Thursday, April 24, 2024. If the event happened tonight, the Vikings would select 14th.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.