There's a key twist to Kyler Murray's Vikings contract

There's a key twist to Kyler Murray's Vikings contract originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . Kyler Murray's signing with the Minnesota Vikings has the potential to be one of the biggest moves of this NFL offseason if it works out.

The Vikings already had one of the most talented rosters in football, but they didn't have a quarterback they felt good about, not after J. J. McCarthy's rough 2025 season.

Now they've got a former No. 1 overall pick to play QB, a guy who has played a lot of good football in his NFL career. Because the Arizona Cardinals are paying Murray a lot of money to not play for them this season, the Vikings even got him on a veteran's minimum contract.

There's just one thing about the contract that stands out, reported by ESPN's Dan Graziano in a new article this week: There's a clause that impacts who Murray plays for next season. The contract Murray signed doesn't allow him to be given the franchise tag or transition tag next offseason, Graziano writes . MORE: E agles' new signing flew himself as a pilot to Philadelphia That prevents the Vikings from keeping Murray without first letting him get to the open market.