29-YO NFL QB Who Owned a $230M Contract Is Now Making Less Money Than at Least 100 College Footballers

Kyler Murray once had a $230 million NFL contract. Now, the 29-year-old quarterback is making just $1.3 million from the Minnesota Vikings in 2026, a number that is reportedly lower than college football players’ NIL earnings.

“There are over ONE HUNDRED College Football players making more money than what the Minnesota Vikings are paying Kyler Murray this year,” Kalshi Sports posted on X.

The number is surprising, but Murray’s situation is a little different from the usual NFL free-agent story. The Vikings signed Murray after the Arizona Cardinals released him this offseason. It was the first time in his career that Murray became a free agent, and Minnesota saw an opportunity to bring in a former No. 1 overall pick without taking on a major salary.

Murray is entering his seventh NFL season, which means he qualifies for the league’s highest veteran minimum salary of $1.3 million in 2026. That is a tiny number compared with the contract he once had in Arizona.

The Cardinals gave Murray a five-year extension worth $230.5 million, with $160 million guaranteed. The deal was supposed to keep him in Arizona for years and made him one of the highest-paid players in the league, though things did not work out that way.

After several inconsistent seasons and injuries, the Cardinals eventually decided to move on, and it came with a massive financial cost for Arizona because the team still owes Murray $36.8 million for the 2026 season.

That money is a major reason Murray was able to take such a small deal with Minnesota. He does not need his new team to replace the salary he lost in Arizona. The Cardinals are still paying him most of what he was scheduled to earn this year, allowing Murray to focus on finding the right football situation rather than chasing the biggest possible contract.

For the Vikings, that created an unusual opportunity. Minnesota entered the offseason with significant salary-cap limitations and needed another option at quarterback. Instead of spending heavily on an established starter, the Vikings could bring in Murray for the league minimum and have him compete with J.J. McCarthy.

Kevin O’Connell, a former NFL quarterback and Minnesota head coach, runs the Vikings’ offense. The Vikings also have Justin Jefferson, giving Murray one of the league’s best offensive weapons to rediscover his form.

The Cardinals selected Murray first overall in 2019 after he won the Heisman Trophy at Oklahoma. He won Offensive Rookie of the Year and earned back-to-back Pro Bowl selections earlier in his career.

There is also an interesting detail in Murray’s contract. His Vikings deal includes a no-tag clause, according to Spotrac, meaning Minnesota cannot use the franchise or transition tag on him after the 2026 season, so that he can become a free agent again. 

Murray has another opportunity to prove that the player who once received a $230 million commitment from Arizona is still there, and Minnesota did not exactly have to convince him to come.

Murray has said he was a Vikings fan growing up, and that “It’s a great fit. I’m thankful for the opportunity.”

College football stars are changing what Big-Money athletes look like

The strange part of Murray’s $1.3 million salary becomes even more noticeable when compared with the money now available in college football.

College athletes have been allowed to profit from their name, image, and likeness for almost five years now. Since 2021, NIL has grown into a major part of the college sports economy, with top players attracting large endorsement deals and, under the newer revenue-sharing system, being connected to school athletic revenues.

The biggest football stars can now command millions of dollars.

On3‘s NIL valuations have placed several college football players in the multimillion-dollar range. Quarterbacks and high-profile skill players are particularly valuable because of their visibility, social media followings, and importance to major programs.

That includes players such as Texas quarterback Arch Manning and Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who have become major figures in the college sports economy.

The system is also much broader than the handful of players who make headlines. Hundreds of college athletes now have access to NIL opportunities. That is why the comparison with Murray is possible in the first place.

A college football player making more than $1.3 million is coming from NIL deals, endorsements, and revenue-sharing payments, depending on the player’s circumstances.

The money has nevertheless changed the landscape as college athletes who have never played an NFL game can now be worth more on the open market than an NFL veteran’s salary from his new team.

Murray’s case is unusual because his $1.3 million Vikings salary does not represent his total football income for 2026. Arizona’s obligation to him is doing most of the heavy lifting.

Even so, this comparison says a lot about how much college football’s money situation has flipped.

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