The NFL does not operate in second chances as much as fans love to pretend it does. There are always exceptions to the rule, like Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, and Geno Smith. Those have been recent success stories. Now, Kyler Murray finds himself in the same situation. This may be Kyler Murray’s last chance to be an NFL starter.
One year ago, Murray was still locked into a huge deal with the Arizona Cardinals. Franchise quarterback money. He is now playing on a one-year, $1.3 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings.
Oddly enough, this may be the best possible outcome for him.
Kyler Murray gets a fresh start in Minnesota
For Murray, there are no contract disputes. There is no more pressure of structuring a rebuild around him. Now there is a different kind of pressure, one that, given his past performance, he should be able to overcome. What does Kyler Murray need to do now?
It is simple. Ball out.
If he plays well, he gets to keep his job. If he exhibits the mediocrity that we have seen in the past few seasons, he will soon hear footsteps. But if he plays badly, it is likely that he may not ever again have the chance to be a team’s franchise quarterback.
Murray was brought in for one reason
The Minnesota Vikings did not bring in Kyler Murray to immediately build him into their franchise for the future. They are bringing him in to win games now. But do not for a second assume this is a friendly situation, as J.J. McCarthy is waiting for Murray to slip up. McCarthy is still the plan for the future, but Murray can derail those plans.
Kyler Murray’s last chance; no room for excuses
Here is the ugly part for Murray: he can no longer use excuses. It started out with a bad offensive line, then it became injuries, and then it was bad coaching and constant turnover. While that may have been legitimate for a while, teams eventually want more. They do not want to be told why it went wrong anymore. They want to be shown what is right.
He needs to produce results, and he needs to do it quickly.
Murray’s talent has never been in question
Talent is not and never has been the question here. You do not accidentally become the #1 pick. You do not accidentally become a household name. The arm is still there, and you will occasionally watch him make plays and see flashes of him that ultimately resulted in him being drafted number one overall.
But flashes do not buy you time or secure a job. Consistency does. Victories do.
If he strings together an excellent year in Minnesota, then the conversation and potential change will be complete. Suddenly, he is not a reclamation project. Murray would be a starting QB again and possibly back into that conversation for big-money contracts. He will have proven that teams should build around him rather than use him as a placeholder.
What if things go south in Minnesota?
But if he does not post good numbers for the Vikings? It will very likely be Kyler Murray’s last chance to lead an NFL team every Sunday.
The next contract will not be a debate between two or three interested franchises. It will be a one-year, prove-it deal, possibly as a backup or in a training camp competition that he may not come out on top in. The drop off from that is faster than anyone really wants to believe.
Calling this a “prove it year” frankly undersells the stakes.
This is about staying relevant.
This is about proving to General Managers throughout the NFL that he is a quarterback worth building around.
And regardless of whether anyone wants to say it aloud, this may be the last time Kyler Murray gets to prove that with the ball already in his hand.
