The Denver Broncos did nothing but prove the NFL world wrong time and time again after selecting Bo Nix with the 12th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. As we know, Nix was the last of six quarterbacks taken in the first round, and many across the league flat-out hammered Denver for this pick.
Some thought that Nix was a day two, second-round-caliber prospect who was going to quickly hit his ceiling in the NFL. Not only was that way off, but you could argue that Nix has been the best, most well-rounded quarterback in that 2024 class thus far.
And obviously, if not for his broken ankle, there is a chance Nix is a Super Bowl champion. Well, the quarterback that went right above Nix, JJ McCarthy, is currently on pace to already be a backup quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings in 2026, and this notable news may have just already signaled the end of the McCarthy era.
Vikings signing Kyler Murray only proves more that the Denver Broncos made the right call
The Vikings will be signing Murray on a one-year deal, and it will be for the minimum. It's a minimum deal because the Arizona Cardinals cut Murray, so the quarterback is already getting paid from his now former team.
Former Cardinals QB Kyler Murray is signing a one-year deal with the Vikings, per sources. Murray now will become part of a QB room that includes former No. 10 overall pick J.J. McCarthy.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 12, 2026
With Murray already owed $36.8 million from Arizona, his one-year contract with the Vikings… pic.twitter.com/RSbFIVRssl
Murray was the first overall pick back in the 2019 NFL Draft and has honestly been a rather average quarterback his entire career. However, he is clearly one of the 32-best quarterbacks in the NFL, and he's significantly better than McCarthy, who, despite being the incumbent in the room, is likely already penciled in as the QB2 for 2026.
It's clear what is going to happen with the Vikings this offseason - the coaches are going to market this as an 'open quarterback competition' to the media, but the coaches have already made up their minds. This is honestly a bit similar to when the Broncos swung a trade for Teddy Bridgewater to 'compete' with Drew Lock back in the 2021 season.
The Broncos clearly traded for Bridgewater to start, and the same is going to be true with Murray on the Vikings. Given that the team has a win-now roster and a coaching staff that just might have to make the playoffs to keep their jobs, they aren't going to risk things on McCarthy, who has not only missed a ton of time, but is a quarterback who has also largely played horrible football when he can get on the field.
The Vikings actually traded up a pick to ensure they took McCarthy. Doing this let Nix fall right into the Broncos laps at pick 12, and it's since been a franchise-altering move in a good way for the Broncos, but in a horrendous way for the Vikings.