Expectations for Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray in Minnesota are all over the map ahead of the 2026 NFL season.
Some believe he will continue on the trajectory he was careening towards last season and fizzle out relatively quickly, while others think he'll be a perfect fit for Kevin O'Connell's offense and will enjoy a career renaissance in the Twin Cities.
Future Hall of Fame TE Rob Gronkowski has firmly planted his flag on the latter camp. He named Murray as his dark-horse MVP candidate on Kay Adams' Up & Adams show on Thursday morning.
"Kyler Murray has all the tools to be great; his athleticism, and he's got a great arm," Gronkowski said. "He's in a situation where either he succeeds, or the NFL moves on from him. This is kind of a prove-it season, and he couldn't be in a better situation to prove it this year. Kyler Murray has a chance to shine and show what he's all about here in Minnesota."
Gronkowski mentioning that Murray couldn't have landed in a better situation is an important factor in this conversation. The Vikings have a TON of talent around Murray.
Justin Jefferson is arguably the best receiver in the entire league. Jordan Addison is also one of the best number-two pass-catchers. I'm not sure if I'd agree with Gronkowski calling T.J. Hockenson "elite" at this stage of his career (there is definitely some TE bias there), but he's certainly a fine starter. They also have a solid offensive line in front of him, and O'Connell is one of the league's best play-callers.
He has more than enough to hold his own. Now it'll be up to him to show that he can rise above being the league-average starter that he was over his final few years in Arizona.
The greatest obstacle in Murray's way to reach his full potential might actually be himself. He's always possessed rare talent, but concerns over his work ethic eventually played a role in his departure from Arizona. He entered Minnesota with a clean slate, and many thought those concerns were left in the past. However, they're seemingly starting to rear their ugly head once again.
Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio believes things aren't exactly going swimmingly on the Kyler Murray work ethic front with his new team. On Wednesday morning's episode of PFT Live, he mentioned speaking to a source that said, "The starting quarterback [Kyler Murray] is showing up right on time, and leaving as soon as the bell rings."
While being an around-the-clock athlete isn't really necessary to hold onto a starting job, it is somewhat of a prerequisite when it comes to being in the MVP conversation. Even with all the talent in the world around him, a QB with a last-guy-in, first-guy-out attitude cannot thrive to that extent.
With that said, Murray still has time to buck that trend. If he does, and he leads the Vikings to the NFC North crown in one of the league's toughest divisions, then Gronkowski's surprising vote of approval could very well come to fruition.
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