Vikings' Super Bowl, Playoff, Division Odds Shift After Kyler Murray Reportedly Named Starting QB

The Minnesota Vikings reportedly have made a decision on their starting quarterback.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, former No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray is set to be the team's starter to open the 2026 season. Murray had been in a quarterback battle with 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy, who struggled mightily as the starter in the 2025 season.

ESPN sources: the Vikings have named Kyler Murray their starting QB. pic.twitter.com/VBE4azfGoF
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 11, 2026

The move to go with Murray has shifted the Vikings' odds in the futures market in a big way. Minnesota came into the offseason at +6000 to win the Super Bowl, but it has since jumped to +5000. That move came before this announcement, as Murray was clearly trending towards winning this job.

Even though Murray seems to give Minnesota a higher ceiling, oddsmakers at DraftKings have left the Vikings in fourth in the odds to win the NFC North. The Vikings are +510 to win the division while the Detroit Lions (+170), Green Bay Packers (+225) and Chicago Bears (+305) all come in with a better chance to take the division crown. Still, Minnesota ended last season on a five-game winning streak and actually beat out the Lions for the No. 3 spot.

So, the addition of Murray could bring Minnesota closer to the record it had in 2024 with Sam Darnold under center when it had the second-most wins in the NFC.

The biggest move for Minnesota may be in the team's odds to make the playoffs. While Minnesota is still favored to miss the postseason, it is now shorter than 2/1 (+154) to make the playoffs this season.

Even though Murray has just one playoff appearance in his career, it's clear that the betting market views the Vikings as a better team with him under center in Kevin O'Connell's offense.

Last season, injuries limited Murray to just five games, and the Cardinals ended up moving on from him in the offseason. Murray may have been able to come back during the 2025 campaign, but the tanking Cardinals made it clear they wanted to go in another direction after spending several seasons with the No. 1 pick at the helm.

Still, he should be an upgrade over McCarthy, who completed just 57.6 percent of his passes in 2025 while throwing more interceptions (12) than touchdowns (11). The Vikings still won six of McCarthy's 10 starts, but the former first-round pick was unable to consistently succeed against NFL defenses.

It's possible McCarthy gets snaps during the 2026 season, but for now, the Vikings are proceeding with Murray as the starter. They'll open the season at home on Sept. 13 against the Packers in a crucial divisional matchup.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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