How dark is this horse?

Not very dark. 2X Pro Bowl QB with tools for days running a KOC offense with Jefferson, Addison, Jennings, Hockenson and one of the NFL's better offensive lines? And that guy's MVP odds are longer than Jaxon Dart's? Madness. I think the fact that he's in a competition is the only reason those odds are so long.

MaroonBells wrote:

Not very dark. 2X Pro Bowl QB with tools for days running a KOC offense with Jefferson, Addison, Jennings, Hockenson and one of the NFL's better offensive lines? And that guy's MVP odds are longer than Jaxon Dart's? Madness. I think the fact that he's in a competition is the only reason those odds are so long.

No matter how you cut it, should be a fun and interesting Viking's season!

Barf.

Jordan Love is our No. 1⃣ dark horse MVP candidate this year...

Here's why: @jordan3love | @packers | @heykayadams pic.twitter.com/1i7d6qQP3o

— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) June 18, 2026

Kay Adams... ❤️❤️❤️

I'm sorry, what was the question again?

CPOTY is more likely. But a case can be made for MVP. First, he plays the right position. Second, the surround is top 5-10. Third he’s got the right HC to get the maximum out of him. I don’t have to squint to see it.

Eh...

...I have doubts. Partially, because Kyler's been a fading blip on my radar since his initial splashes; the hype I'm seeing now seems determined to ignore injuries, inconsistencies, work ethic, and so on.

Also, I'm not fully convinced that he's going to win the competition. All signs point to JJM trying to put the bit in his teeth, and push himself into a status that helps us all forget his worst moments of last season...

...but mostly, due to their histories, I'm nearly certain that we'll see them both starting for the team this season.

JustInTime wrote:

CPOTY is more likely. But a case can be made for MVP. First, he plays the right position. Second, the surround is top 5-10. Third he’s got the right HC to get the maximum out of him. I don’t have to squint to see it.

If he stays healthy, he's nearly a shoe-in for CPOTY. Problem is, he's 2nd only to Patrick Mahomes in terms of odds, so there's not much of a payoff if you bet on it.

MVP... shit the media cant even decide if he is actually going to be the starter and now he is MVP?

Zanary wrote:

Eh...

...I have doubts. Partially, because Kyler's been a fading blip on my radar since his initial splashes; the hype I'm seeing now seems determined to ignore injuries, inconsistencies, work ethic, and so on.

Also, I'm not fully convinced that he's going to win the competition. All signs point to JJM trying to put the bit in his teeth, and push himself into a status that helps us all forget his worst moments of last season...

...but mostly, due to their histories, I'm nearly certain that we'll see them both starting for the team this season.

Injuries are a legitimate concern for Murray, but it's a concern for McCarthy as well.

Inconsistency is a pretty nebulous term. We've all seen great QBs have terrible games, including Brady, Stafford, Mahomes, Cousins, Darnold. If a QB has debilitating inconsistencies, you don't see him hit 4,000 yards, with a 67% completion percentage, 30 total TDs, and 12 INTs, which is his 17-game average over 7 seasons. That's not his best season, that's what he's averaged. Those are damn good numbers for a QB on a damn bad team.

I also think the work ethic thing is overblown, arising only because of that clause in his contract, which even the team admitted was a mistake and promptly removed it. The only teammate I've heard about who criticized Murray was Patrick Peterson, but that was 6 years ago when Murray was a 23 year old kid in his 2nd season.

Several teammates came to his defense over that too: Zach Ertz said "the addendum is what it is, but in my opinion, Kyler knows the playbook inside and out." Michael Carter said, "I don’t think he ever leaves the facility. He’s always in here. He’s the freakin’ first person in...last person out." Chase Edmunds said "Look, I have never once questioned Kyler Murray’s work ethic. I know the work he puts in day in and day out to be prepared at the highest level...when Kyler was younger, I do think he could have been helped...but in terms of work ethic? I’ve never questioned that.”

Calling it....

Murray 2026 stats:

4,600 passing yards - 30 passing TD's

575 rushing yards - 7 rushing TD's

9 Ints

SurfnRide wrote:

Calling it....
Murray 2026 stats:
4,600 passing yards - 30 passing TD's
575 rushing yards - 7 rushing TD's
9 Ints

Not too many would argue his surround/coaching is better here. This is how your prediction compares to his actual average per season during his career in AZ:

These averages are based on his Arizona totals of:

• 20,460 passing yards

• 121 passing touchdowns

• 60 interceptions

• 3,193 rushing yards

• 32 rushing touchdowns over 7 seasons.

Source: AI

purplefaithful wrote:

Not too many would argue his surround/coaching is better here. This is how your prediction compares to his actual average per season during his career in AZ:
Passing Yards
2,923
Passing TDs
17.3
Interceptions
8.6
Rushing Yards
456
Rushing TDs
4.6
These averages are based on his Arizona totals of:
20,460 passing yards
121 passing touchdowns
60 interceptions
3,193 rushing yards
32 rushing touchdowns over 7 seasons.

Source: AI

I think the 17-game average provides a better picture. It's how he's performed in games he actually played in...as opposed to per-season averages that include incomplete seasons.

Well if he gets beat out, he could turn into a dark turbo turd in the purple punch bowl…🤔😇

Now he is MVP? Some have a weird, unnatural lovefest with this guy. It is super weird and odd.

StickierBuns wrote:

No matter how you cut it, should be a fun and interesting Viking's season!

Let's sit back and let the man child side dude win us our first Lombardi. It is a given. This shit is becoming a sickness. lol

LOL.

I think the odds of Murray getting MVP are probably worse than the odds of JJM getting the starting job in 2027 and Murray moving on.

Not saying Murray will be bad or anything, but lets let the guy recover from being fired and replaced with a backup after his backup outperformed him.

Murray for MVP isn't impossible but it certainly isn't likely even if he has a pretty good year.

medaille wrote:

LOL.
I think the odds of Murray getting MVP are probably worse than the odds of JJM getting the starting job in 2027 and Murray moving on.
Not saying Murray will be bad or anything, but lets let the guy recover from being fired and replaced with a backup after his backup outperformed him.
Murray for MVP isn't impossible but it certainly isn't likely even if he has a pretty good year.

Party pooper! 😀

So you're not in on 4600 passing yards and 30 TDs? 😉

I like Murray, but just for reference, here's the 2024 and 2025 MVP Voting. Probably have to hope for a crazy year like 2025 where everyone gets injured but Murray doesn't

Clear as day now why the Vikings were willing to give up the farm for Maye...In a draft re-do he might be the #1 player selected.

medaille wrote:

I like Murray, but just for reference, here's the 2024 and 2025 MVP Voting. Probably have to hope for a crazy year like 2025 where everyone gets injured but Murray doesn't

The dark horse MVP talk comes from the supporting cast. What might happen if you put an experienced QB who is a weapon in his own right into a KOC offense? That's the gist of it. And it's not just ESPN. NFL.com did a thing last week that mentioned Murray as a possible MVP. I agree. I might actually put money on this one.