Kyler Murray has no more excuses.
The former No. 1 overall pick is now with an organization in the Minnesota Vikings that has a real chance to compete for a Super Bowl.
This is something Murray isn't used to having spent the first seven years of his NFL career with an Arizona Cardinals team which produced just one winning season, back in 2021.
That also happened to be the only year he has reached the playoffs to date.
On the flip side, the Vikings had all the parts to contend except at the quarterback position, with their gamble on drafting J.J. McCarthy with the 10th overall pick in 2024 backfiring.
So when Murray was cut by the Cardinals this offseason, the Vikings capitalized on the opportunity to bring in an elite-caliber talent at a very cheap price in a low-risk, high-reward situation.
Having won the starting job for the 2026 season, long-time analyst Rex Ryan argues that the two-time Pro Bowl signal caller has no excuses left if he doesn't perform, especially with one of the best wide receivers in the league at his disposal in Justin Jefferson.
"Justin Jefferson, say what you want. He couldn't throw it and catch it himself. They were so bad at that position," Ryan stated.
"Now you bring in Kyler Murray, who we all know is a super talent. You know what? It better work for you Kyler because if not, go play baseball where you were drafted.
"You're not going to have a better receiving corps than you have, with a better head coach than Kevin O'Connell.
"So I think it's going to work. I think it's going to be a marriage that is going to be terrific."
Of course, before being drafted as the No. 1 overall pick, Murray was also selected by the Oakland Athletics with the ninth overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft.
But he chose to forgo a baseball career for football, even though some argued that this was a mistake.
Due to his 5-foot-10 stature - which is below average for an NFL quarterback - there were some critics that felt that he wouldn't be able to translate his collegiate game at Oklahoma at the pro level.
Murray's height could yet determine whether he finds success in Minnesota, and could also somewhat dictate his NFL future should things go awry.
Jefferson aiming to bounce back
With a futile situation at QB in Minnesota last season, Jefferson was limited to just two touchdowns.
However, he still kept up his career streak of producing more than 1,000 receiving yards.
With a dynamic signal caller in Murray now at the helm, there is perhaps nobody happier than Jefferson.
After all, he is seeking to re-establish himself and have a bounce-back year to show why he is one of the highest-paid receivers in the NFL.
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