Kyler Murray’s arrival in Minnesota was supposed to signal a clean slate. Instead, a fresh report suggests the same old questions are following him from Arizona to the Vikings.
Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk said this week that a trusted source told him Murray has been showing up to Vikings practice exactly on time and heading out as soon as practice ends at TCO Performance Center. Florio said the information lined up with concerns that surfaced during Murray’s time with the Cardinals.
“I want to be fair, and I want to be transparent with the people out there when I hear things from people that I trust,” Florio said. “And I heard last night, from someone I trust, that the starting quarterback is showing up right on time and leaving as soon as the bell rings.
Which is fine, which is fine. But it kind of fits with one of the issues that emerged in Arizona.”
He also added a qualifier, even if it didn’t exactly soften the point.
“It may be all he needs, in order to go out there and be highly effective. But to the extent that we thought he was going to be the guy who burns the midnight oil - that’s not happening. At least not for now in Minnesota.”
The issue is familiar territory for Murray. His contract with the Cardinals included a homework clause, a detail tied to the amount of time he spent studying film at home. That alone made it clear Arizona had real concerns about his preparation, and those questions appear to have followed him to Minnesota.
No one is doubting the talent. Murray was a first-round NFL pick and also the ninth overall pick in the MLB draft, a rare crossover athlete. The bigger questions have always centered on leadership and presence inside the locker room.
That backdrop makes the early reporting around his routine more notable, especially with Vikings fans watching how he settles in under head coach Kevin O’Connell, who played alongside Tom Brady, a quarterback known for outworking everyone in the building.
Minnesota also has plenty going on around the roster, including recent practice squad moves as the team continues to finalize its depth chart. Murray, though, isn’t in that kind of fight.
His spot is secure. The question is whether his habits are going to look any different in a new uniform.
The Vikings open the regular season on Sept. 13 against the Packers. For now, the real test for Murray isn’t talent. It’s whether the work habits that followed him out of Arizona are still in place in Minnesota.
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