DeAndre Hopkins Endorses Vikings Next QB
The Minnesota Vikings need an extra signal-caller this offseason, hoping to form a deeper quarterback room than last year, and DeAndre Hopkins knows a guy: Kyler Murray.
Hopkins’ comment adds juice to the Murray chatter, with Minnesota still hunting the most explosive QB value on the market.
Hopkins spent three seasons with Murray in Arizona, now claiming that Murray would cook with Justin Jefferson in the Twin Cities.
Hopkins’ Murray Take Fits Minnesota’s Swing-for-Upside Moment
It’s suddenly a popular development.
Hopkins: Murray + Jefferson = 🔥
News leaked this week that the Arizona Cardinals, Hopkins’s former employer, will cut ties with Murray, and Minnesota instantly became the top theorized destination for Murray among NFL media.
Hopkins likes the idea. He tweeted Wednesday, “K1 & JJ would be scary!
Here’s the tweet in the flesh:
During Murray and Hopkins’s first year together, Hopkins logged 115 receptions, 1,407 receiving yards, and 6 touchdowns. He knows a little something about Murray’s apex.
Murray Now There for the Taking
From the Cardinals’ website, Murray’s roster cut is a foregone conclusion. Darren Urban wrote this week, “The Kyler Murray era with the Arizona Cardinals is coming to an end, and it was Murray who let everyone know. Multiple reports came out immediately after that the Cardinals had told Murray he will be released next week unless a trade partner can be found.”
“The Cardinals cannot officially cut or trade Murray until March 11, the first day of the new league year. Either way, the move will end months of speculation about his future and reset the position with the arrival of new head coach Mike LaFleur. Murray had not spoken publicly since after a loss to the Titans in Week 5.”
Arizona has already paid Murray for the 2026 campaign, so just like Russell Wilson in 2024 — from Denver to Pittsburgh — his next team can likely sign him for the league minimum.
Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap explained this week, “Murray’s guarantee is subject to offsets so it is likely that he will sign a contract for the veteran’s minimum and try to compete for a job.”
“There are some ways to sneak money into the contract and avoid offsets but that would require a multi-year deal and he has more to gain by playing well this year and becoming a free agent again in 2027. Any money earned in 2026 will be credited to the Cardinals’ salary cap in 2027.”
Vikings Reportedly Interested
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently noted, “I’ve also heard that the Vikings are considering Murray and Geno Smith as they outline their veteran quarterback plan. Tua Tagovailoa and Cousins are also on their radar. Some I’ve talked to are breaking those four into two tiers, with Murray and Smith in the first group.”
Back in December, a source told VikingsTerritory that Minnesota had its eye on Murray, recognizing that he had been “softly benched” by the Cardinals and that his release seemed imminent. A few months later, that reality came to life, and some team will sign Murray for cheap, hoping to squeeze the best out of him and give Murray a chance for career reclamation.
The Best Value Option beyond the Shadow of a Doubt
Analyze the quarterback landscape. Murray is available at $1.3 million, while quarterbacks like Gardner Minshew, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Case Keenum command around $3 million. In this market, Murray is a standout. As a former No. 1 overall pick with proven NFL talent, he offers significantly more upside than the others, who are primarily bridge quarterbacks.
From a value perspective, Murray is the obvious choice for the Vikings. He’s the most talented QB available at his price, with Pro Bowl appearances and seasons of high efficiency under his belt. Despite past challenges in Arizona, his potential remains undeniable.
Motivation shouldn’t be a concern either. Murray has something to prove after being moved on from by Arizona. Being discarded as a franchise QB will undoubtedly fuel his drive. Consider Sam Darnold’s recent Super Bowl victory, just a year after leaving Minnesota. Once labeled a “bust,” the Vikings revitalized his career. Then, he left and won the chip in Seattle.
Murray is already further along in his development than Darnold was at a similar stage. He’s demonstrated prolonged flashes of elite play. If Darnold could rebound after years of criticism, Murray possesses the tools to do the same, if not better.
If Murray to the Vikings plays out, it will likely shake out next week. For example, the aforementioned Wilson conducted a tour on the weekend before free agency in 2024, with reporting confirming he’d join the Steelers on the Sunday prior to the start of “legal tampering.”
That means you are mere days from the Murray-Vikings verdict.
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