Tyler Forness and producer Dave Stefano spent the latest episode of The Real Forno Show looking at the quarterback who actually matters for the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1: Kyler Murray.
With J.J. McCarthy out of the conversation, the show zeroed in on Murray’s opener against Green Bay at U.S.
Bank Stadium and treated it like a real projection rather than a comfortable sidestep. That was the same approach Forness and Stefano took with Sam Darnold in 2024, and this time the idea was simple: don’t duck the uncomfortable question.
“Kyler Murray is the most athletic quarterback the Minnesota Vikings have had under center,” Forness said. He wasn’t trying to paint Murray as a Lamar Jackson copy.
His point was that Murray can hurt a defense from the pocket, and if he gets loose, “kick your ass the second they leave it.” Stefano kept the temperature a little cooler, saying, “How confident?
I’m hopeful. … KOC’s gotta prove it to me once again.”
Forness backed up the discussion with TruMedia data, using more than 1,000 attempts since 2019 and then pulling in Murray’s full 2024 season. The career numbers show a mixed bag: EPA per play ranks 22nd of 45, explosive pass rate sits 42nd, and air yards per attempt are tied for 43rd at 6.8.
That fits the picture of a quarterback who has often chosen the easier throw over the risky shot - “Murray, who would much rather take the eight yards instead of shoot for 30.” But there’s a different story when he moves outside the pocket.
His explosive rate jumps to 19 percent, tied for 12th, and his air yards climb to 8.3. The scrambling production is real, too: 210 scrambles, fifth-most, for 1,736 yards, sixth-most, with seven rushing touchdowns.
The show also pointed out that Murray’s missed-tackle numbers don’t pop the way some mobile quarterbacks’ do, largely because he tends to get out of bounds instead of taking contact. Forness said, “I’d rather you get out of bounds and not take a hit than lower your shoulder,” a line that hit even harder with McCarthy’s 2025 injuries in the rearview.
Then came the 2024 tape, which Forness framed as the reason for optimism. Murray posted a 52.7 percent pocket success rate, seventh out of 46, and his turnover-worthy throw rate dropped to 1.6 percent, fourth-best.
The explosive throws still weren’t piling up in the pocket - they sat at 10 percent - but the off-platform work was encouraging. His EPA outside structure doubled to 0.16, good for 10th, and his air yards rose to 10.4, fifth.
The one wrinkle: turnover-worthy throws went up in those situations.
That led Forness to the larger question of fit. “Are we sure that maybe Kyler’s not perfectly suited for what Kevin O’Connell wants to do?”
he asked, after noting Murray’s 0.4 percent pocket scramble rate. His answer was that O’Connell could get more out of the pocket game with Jefferson, Addison, T.J.
Hockenson, Jauan Jennings, Christian Darrisaw, and Brian O’Neill, while also leaning on boots, floods, and scramble-drill concepts the Cardinals never really gave Murray.
“If the Vikings are in a position where they have to pay Murray at the end of the year because he was that good, it’s a champagne problem,” Forness said.
In Other News...
Kyler Murray Could Change How The Vikings Offense Really Looks
Kyler Murrays rise as Arizonas starting quarterback has a ripple effect in Minnesota, where the Vikings are watching the way his game keeps expanding. General manager Nolan Teasley pointed to Murrays improved anticipation, his ability to fit throws into tight windows and the work he has done at the line of scrimmage, all while still leaning on the mobility that has always made him dangerous. For a Vikings offense under Kevin OConnell that is built on timing and footwork, that kind of growth is the sort of trait that can change how a team has to defend him.
Murray won the starting job on August 11, and the early signs from practices and preseason games suggest there is real progress behind the buzz. The question for Minnesota is whether those flashes become something more dependable once the games count, because the Vikings know how quickly a quarterback who can win from the pocket and off schedule can alter the feel of an offense. For now, the evidence points to a player still adding layers, with the next step likely to say a lot about just how different that attack can look. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Just Sent A Clear Message About Who Leads This Team
The Vikings have set their leadership group for the 2026 season, naming eight team captains as they continue to lean on a core that blends proven veterans with fresh voices. Five of those captains are back from last year, and the group gives head coach Kevin OConnell and his staff a clear snapshot of where the locker rooms authority now sits.
Quarterback Kyler Murray is among the new additions, taking over the offensive captain spot previously held by J.J. McCarthy. He joins Brian ONeill, Justin Jefferson, Aaron Jones Sr., Josh Metellus, Blake Cashman, Andrew Van Ginkel and long snapper Andrew DePaola, all of whom will wear the C and carry added responsibility as the season gets underway. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Quarterback Drama Is Creating An Opening Few Fans Expected
The quarterback conversation in Minnesota has shifted again, and this time it is Kyler Murray who has stepped into the middle of it. General manager Nolan Teasley recently addressed questions about J.J. McCarthys future, making clear that the first-round picks story is still being written after just 10 starts, even as the job has moved elsewhere and the attention around the position keeps building.
Murrays situation looks different from McCarthys in one important way: he has been able to work through training camp with far less media scrutiny. There is a real chance that the noise surrounding McCarthy ends up working in Murrays favor, giving him room to settle in while the debate continues around him, much like some past Vikings teams that found success while the quarterback picture stayed unsettled. [Read more 🡒]