Kyler Murray Speaking to Teams on Zoom Before Vikings Visit

Kyler Murray was officially released by the Arizona Cardinals on Wednesday afternoon, which immediately makes him one of the most coveted free agent quarterbacks on the market. The Vikings are widely considered heavy favorites to sign him, but it sounds like he will be listening to other offers.

Arizona-based analyst John Gambadoro reported on Wednesday night that Murray will meet with the Vikings on Thursday. Many other reporters backed up his post, but he and many others said that Murray plans to weigh all of his options before making a final decision.

"Kyler Murray will meet with the Minnesota Vikings tomorrow. They offer an opportunity to be a starting quarterback. That matters. But they (Murray’s camp) are going to use the next 24 hours to look at other options that could be better for him in 2027. That would mean, what teams may need a quarterback in 2027? Could it be the Rams, the Texans, Atlanta, could it be the Jets? This is just a feeling-out process," Gambadoro said on his radio show on Wednesday.

Here's @Gambo987 with a deeper breakdown of Kyler Murray's next steps in free agency 👇 https://t.co/jH7rltvuz0 pic.twitter.com/pEYiQ97R6F
— The Burns & Gambo Show (@BurnsAndGambo) March 12, 2026

"The only visit scheduled is Minnesota. But they will take these next 24 hours to look and discuss other options for teams that might need a quarterback in 2027. They’re not opposed to being a backup for one year. The priority would be, can I get a starting job somewhere where they want me, so I do think Minnesota is the frontrunner for Kyler Murray. But I do think they will try to get to know some teams; some of these teams haven’t talked to Kyler since he was a 21-year-old kid."

If the Vikings are open to bringing Murray in to compete with J.J. McCarthy for the starting role in 2026, it's fair to presume that they would be more than happy with him being their starter in 2027. Then again, all of these reports could be a bargaining tactic from Murray's team, even though he's expected to sign a one-year deal for the veteran minimum.

Minnesota has way more to offer in terms of opportunity than the Rams, Texans, Falcons or Jets that Gambadoro mentions. The Vikings have most of the leverage after Tua Tagovailoa signed with Atlanta and Geno Smith was traded to the Jets. The 2025-26 season certainly didn't go to plan with McCarthy's development, but Kevin O'Connell has a track record of developing veteran quarterbacks. There seems to be a new report on Murray's decision every hour, and Thursday night's visit to Minnesota feels like a big one.