The Minnesota Vikings wrapped up their Week 5 game against the New Orleans Saints with their unbeaten record still intact, securing a 23-13 win. Quarterback Kyler Murray played a significant role in the win, which earned praise from head coach Kevin O’Connell.

During the postgame press conference, O’Connell weighed in on Murray’s progress. According to O'Connell his progress came from gaining valuable experience in actual game situations rather than relying solely on practice sessions.

“I just think it's time,” O'Connell said. “It's just game reps. I mean, you can talk about every practice rep you want against a scout card or even a training camp rep. But the game reps have been in it and it's his huddle and it's him running the show on the road, noisy building.”

“Tremendous poise all day long, decision making, using his athleticism. I think this performance, like the second half from last week, is a lot for us to build on for sure.”

Murray completed 24 of his 30 passing attempts for 229 yards and one touchdown against the Saints. His efficient performance helped the Vikings secure their fifth back-to-back victory and head into their bye week with an unblemished record before preparing to face the Indianapolis Colts.

Murray joined the Vikings this offseason on a one-year contract. The move represented a significant change for the quarterback, who entered the NFL with considerable expectations after the Arizona Cardinals selected him first overall in the 2019 NFL Draft.

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Murray spent the first seven seasons of his professional career in Arizona. However, injuries and inconsistent team results complicated the latter stages of his Cardinals tenure. Murray appeared in just five games during the 2025 season because of an injury, and Arizona eventually moved on from him.

His arrival in Minnesota has provided a fresh opportunity to regain consistency and establish himself in a different offensive system.

Though there is still plenty of football left to play, it remains too early to determine what Murray’s long-term future in Minnesota will look like. Nevertheless, his performance against the Saints has given the coaching staff encouraging signs of progress.