Two months later, VikesNow‘s first-ever countdown of the franchise’s most important players is complete, with quarterback Kyler Murray taking the top spot.
Murray turned purple in March for a teensy $1.3 price tag, and now he holds the key to whether Minnesota is a Super Bowl contender.
Murray Is the Fulcrum of the Vikings’ 2026 Season
Murray’s Role in 2026
For better or worse, the onus is all on Murray if one assumes the Vikings’ defense will hold up its end of the bargain. In 2025, Minnesota finished 9-8 with the NFL’s fifth-worst Dropback EPA – – basically quarterback efficiency – – so Murray is the hinge this season to go from nine wins to 10, 11, 12, or 13.
Minnesota handed him the offense after he beat J.J. McCarthy during training camp. Now Murray gets Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, along with T.J. Hockenson and Jauan Jennings.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell has spent months tailoring the system toward Murray’s accuracy and athleticism, so there should be very few excuses if the partnership sputters. O’Connell specifically pointed to both traits when explaining why Murray won the job.
Murray also has to protect himself. His legs remain a weapon, yet Minnesota cannot afford another prolonged absence after Arizona played 30 games without him across seven seasons. The Vikings signed him for the $1.3 million sum and somehow found themselves with a two-time Pro Bowler as QB1.
Make the offense dangerous again. Stay healthy.
What Success Looks Like
Success for Murray? Rekindling his career to a degree the world expected from him when the Cardinals drafted him first overall in 2019. If he emulates the Vikings’ version of 2024 Darnold, fans will do cartwheels.
Overall, he also must stay healthy. Sixteen or 17 starts would immediately erase one of the biggest concerns surrounding Minnesota’s gamble.
Then comes production. Murray owns a 67.1% career completion rate and a 92.2 passer rating. Those numbers describe a legitimate NFL starter, even after several uneven seasons in Arizona. Minnesota does not need the 2020 MVP candidate every Sunday. A return to top-12 quarterback territory would work just fine.
If Murray approaches 4,000 passing yards and throws 25-plus touchdowns, the $1.3 million contract becomes absurdly valuable. More importantly, Minnesota should be playing meaningful January football.
Murray already earned a captaincy before playing a regular season snap for Minnesota. If his play validates that trust, the Vikings will have discovered one of the NFL’s best reclamation stories and perhaps win Comeback Player of the Year.
What Could Make This Ranking Look Too Low – – or Too High
Technically, Murray cannot rank any higher, but he can make No. 1 look painfully obvious.
If O’Connell unlocks the Pro Bowl version and Minnesota rolls into January with double-digit wins, this countdown will age beautifully. Quarterback affects every offensive possession. Murray also possesses the mobility to rescue broken plays. The combination gives him influence no other Viking can duplicate.
The danger is straightforward. Murray could simply be average. He could also get hurt again. In either scenario, Christian Darrisaw or Justin Jefferson might look more deserving of the top spot. Murray played only five games last season because of a foot injury, making the health concern more than theoretical.
That is why he sits here. Minnesota can survive losing almost anybody for a few weeks — but not the quarterback.
Next in the Countdown
In all its glory, here’s the full list of 40, as the countdown concludes until next summer.
1 | Kyler Murray (QB)
2 | Christian Darrisaw (LT)
3 | Justin Jefferson (WR)
4 | Dallas Turner (OLB)
5 | Brian O’Neill (RT)
6 | Andrew Van Ginkel (OLB)
7 | Jalen Redmond (DT)
8 | Byron Murphy Jr. (CB)
9 | Jordan Mason (RB)
10 | Jordan Addison (WR)
11 | Donovan Jackson (LG)
12 | T.J. Hockenson (TE)
13 | Blake Cashman (LB)
14 | Caleb Banks (DT)
15 | Will Reichard (K)
16 | Will Fries (RG)
17 | Blake Brandel (C)
18 | Josh Metellus (S)
19 | Isaiah Rodgers (CB)
20 | J.J. McCarthy (QB)
21 | Aaron Jones (RB)
22 | Jauan Jennings (WR)
23 | Jay Ward (S)
24 | Eric Wilson (LB)
25 | James Pierre (CB)
26 | Domonique Orange (DT)
27 | Jake Golday (LB)
28 | Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins (DL)
29 | Josh Oliver (TE)
30 | Jakobe Thomas (S)
31 | Charles Demmings (CB)
32 | Ryan Van Demark (OT)
33 | Levi Drake Rodriguez (DT)
34 | Ivan Pace Jr. (LB)
35 | Theo Jackson (S)
36 | Bo Richter (OLB)
37 | Caleb Tiernan (OT)
38 | Demond Claiborne (RB)
39 | Tai Felton (WR)
40 | Myles Price (WR)
It’s worth noting that VikesNow ranked McCarthy at No. 20 when he held the presumptive QB2 job – – not QB3. He’d rank lower now if we had a time machine.
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VikesNow Verdict: If Murray stays healthy and recaptures his Pro Bowl form, the gamble would become one of the NFL’s steals. If he goes down, all bets are off.
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