The moment has arrived for Kyler Murray. On Sunday, he’ll take the field at U.S. Bank Stadium for the first time as the starting quarterback of the team he grew up cheering for as a kid in Texas.
Once a Heisman winner and No. 1 overall pick, the 29-year-old Murray is beginning a new chapter of his career after an up-and-down seven seasons with the Cardinals. He’s motivated for all kinds of reasons: To prove Arizona wrong for cutting him, to re-establish himself as a great NFL quarterback, and to secure his future beyond this season.
The way to do all of those things is clear and simple: Help the Vikings win football games. The first opportunity comes this weekend against a new division rival.
“I’m excited,” Murray said on Thursday. “Out of I-don’t-know-how-many years I’ve played football, this has gotta be right up there for the most anticipated (first game). I can’t tell you how excited and ready I am just to be on the field again. I haven’t played since October, so it’s been a long time for me. But at the same time, being even-keeled like I always am, keeping the main thing the main thing, taking it one day at a time until we get to Sunday.”
Murray admitted he’ll probably have some anxious butterflies before the game, which comes with playing football. Once the first whistle blows, it’ll be time to put on display everything he’s worked on over the course of this offseason — everything that has the Vikings believing he can help lead them to a special season.
The mindset for Murray is to simply do his job as one of 11 players on offense. He’ll have a great coach in Kevin O’Connell calling plays and great teammates to throw the ball to. He just has to operate within the system and be himself.
“I think (O’Connell) is who he is for a reason,” Murray said. “His offense has had the success that it’s had for a reason. I’m the guy, I just gotta run the ship. We have a lot of great playmakers, great O-line, great running backs. Supporting cast is great, so I just gotta go out there and do my job.”
The list of weapons for Murray starts with Justin Jefferson, arguably the best wide receiver in the league. One of his primary tasks is to get the ball to No. 18, because good things tend to happen when he’s involved.
“When you’re throwing to a guy like that, my experience being with great receivers, it’s easy to throw to those guys,” Murray said. “Just don’t mess it up. We’ve played a lot of football, and I think this has been easy for us, the maturation of us getting familiar with each other.”
And it’s not just Jefferson. On the other side, Murray will have Jordan Addison, a highly talented receiver in his own right who has plenty of motivation heading into something of a contract year.
“I’ve been a fan of his from afar for a while,” Murray said of Addison. “But just being able to be around him in the offseason, working out together, and then this process of camp, now being in the season, it’s been fun to watch his growth over this short period of time. I’m excited for him to have his best year yet.”
The list of pass-game weapons also includes Jauan Jennings, T.J. Hockenson, and others. The Vikings will also look to help Murray out by establishing their revamped running game with Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones. They’ve been building the 2026 version of their offense all offseason. Now it’s time to bring it to life.
That Week 1 comes against the Packers adds to the excitement around the moment. Although it’ll be Murray’s first time participating in the rivalry, he’s more focused on the details of his job than broader storylines.
“I understand the rich tradition behind it,” Murray said. “It’s a big deal when the Vikings and Packers suit up against each other, as it should be. But at the end of the day, we’re going out there and playing football, trying to win the game. I’m not really too much focused on the optics of everything. Just trying to go out there and execute.”
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This story was originally published by on Sep 10, 2026, where it first appeared in the section. Add Bring Me The Sports as a