Kyler Murray contract, explained: Why Vikings are signing Cardinals QB bust on minimum $1.3M deal

The Minnesota Vikings have a new quarterback, signing Kyler Murray to a contract for the 2026 season, per Adam Schefter.

Murray was released by the Arizona Cardinals following six inconsistent seasons, making him a free agent for the first time in his career. While Murray has battled injuries and comes with some limitations, he still offers an intriguing upside that the Vikings would like to tap into.

However, Minnesota entered the offseason with significant cap issues, putting limitations on which quarterbacks they could target. Murray's addition to the free agency pool ended up being exactly what the Vikings needed, allowing them to sign a quarterback to compete with J.J. McCarthy for a fraction of a normal starter's salary.

Here's why the Vikings signed Murray to a minimum salary.

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Kyler Murray contract, explained

The Cardinals officially released Kyler Murray this offseason, but Arizona still owes the quarterback much of his 2026 salary. Murray was set to enter the fourth year of a five-year, $230 million contract, which put him at $46 million per season.

As part of his contract, Murray is due to make $36.8 million guaranteed from the Cardinals, who are also taking a significant dead cap hit by releasing him. Arizona could spread the dead cap over two seasons depending on how the team designates Murray's release.

Therefore, Murray doesn't need to take a big contract this offseason, knowing he is getting a hefty salary for not playing for the Cardinals. Instead, the quarterback chose to sign with a team that has a strong infrastructure on a light deal, allowing Minnesota to avoid further cap issues.

In many instances, these huge quarterback contracts have offset language that allow teams to recoup the salary the quarterback would make on another team. That is typically why these players sign for minimum deals.

How much will Kyler Murray make in 2026?

Most of the money Kyler Murray will make in 2026 is set to come from the Cardinals. Arizona owes Murray $36.8 million this year, which makes up the majority of Murray's earning for the year.

NFL veteran minimum salary in 2026

Minimum salaries in the NFL depend on how long the player has been in the league. Here's a look at the minimum salaries for 2026, per Spotrac:

Murray is about to enter his seventh season in the NFL, making him eligible to earn a minimum salary of $1.3 million.

MORE: How Kyler Murray can be Kevin O'Connell's next QB reclamation project