Despite not playing a game for the Arizona Cardinals yet this season, former No. 1 overall pick and quarterback Kyler Murray continues to make headlines. Murray is seemingly on the end of his road to recovery from a torn ACL he suffered last season, but could he be headed to the Minnesota Vikings after they just lost their quarterback Kirk Cousins to a season-ending injury?
After being removed from the injury report for the first time since having his 21-day practice window opened to be activated from injured reserve, Murray is now practicing in full with the Cardinals and looks to be ready to return to action sooner than later.
Cousins suffered a torn Achilles in the Vikings Week 8 victory over the Green Bay Packers and now the 4-4 Vikings find themselves in a tough situation. The NFL trade deadline is Oct. 31 at 4 p.m. ET, meaning time is of the essence if they want to replace Cousins via trade.
Murray is an option for the Vikings if the Cardinals are serious about moving off of his lofty contract extension and rebuilding with a new potential franchise quarterback given their 1-7 record and likeliness to land a top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft (currently projected to have the No. 1 overall pick).
26 years old and coming off a serious knee injury, Murray has five years remaining on his current contract worth $184.12 million. In other words, an investment in Murray would go beyond this season.
While this may not be ideal for most teams in need of a short-term rental, the Vikings could also commit to Murray as their next franchise quarterback by making this trade. After all, Cousins is 35 years old, in the final year of his contract, and now has a long road to recovery after suffering a gruesome Achilles injury.
Murray to the Vikings may make more sense now than ever.
