Sep 24, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings fans react during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
When the Minnesota Vikings stopped short of paying Kirk Cousins everything he wanted, it was a reflection of their intent to reset spending at the position. With an ability to bring in a rookie quarterback of their choosing, they will hope for a foundational piece that brings a rookie contract along with it. For that reason alone, the Cardinals trade suggestion is crazy.
As this period leading up to the NFL Draft can be a slog, there is no shortage of mock drafts. Every major website will run multiple, and each one will have different ideas about what each team should do. After acquiring a second first-round pick, it stands to reason that the Minnesota Vikings will go all in on finding their quarterback of the future. That isn’t going to be Kyler Murray.
Former New York Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum suggested that the Minnesota Vikings would be wise to trade for Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray. The suggested price is the 11th overall pick in exchange for the quarterback and a third-round pick. That would leave Minnesota still owning the 23rd overall pick, and they would also add back a third-round pick in the process.
Regardless of the compensation, the non-starter here is Murray’s contract. He has a cap hit of nearly $50 million in 2024, and that stays the same for the next three seasons after that. Taking on Murray would mean sticking with him until at least 2028, at which point there will be $0 money left as a dead cap hit. He would be turning 31 years old that season, at which point he’d be looking for another extension.
It’s not as though Murray isn’t a talented quarterback, and he may even be better than Cousins as he continues, but handing out that sort of money to a new passer doesn’t make sense.
If the Vikings were going to pay someone substantially, then they would have just stuck with the guy they knew in Cousins. Paying handsomely for a quarterback, and one that is already something of a finished product, would negate all of the decisions they just made this offseason.
Undoubtedly, a trade could, and probably should, be coming for the Vikings. That trade will involve moving up in the draft, though, and it’s going to allow them an opportunity to draft the rookie quarterback of their choosing. How much they’re willing to give up and who they want to target is something of a mystery yet. We’ll find out soon enough, but Murray in a Vikings uniform isn’t something that’s going to come to fruition.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.