(Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) | Getty Images After months of speculation, the day finally arrived on Sunday. Kyler Murray’s first start under center as the quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings. Murray won the job after a training camp battle with J.J. McCarthy, turning the conversation from who would start under center for Minnesota, to whether Kevin O’Connell could work the same magic with Murray as he did with Sam Darnold and other quarterbacks. If Murray’s first pass attempt with the Vikings is any indication, that magic may be hard to recapture. With Minnesota facing a 2nd-and-11, O’Connell emptied the backfield, with Jauan Jennings running a slot-fade route on the right side of the formation. The Green Bay Packers brought pressure, and Murray was forced onto his back foot. But rather than throw the ball away, or check it down, Murray did … this: Keisean Nixon intercepts the first pass of the game GBvsMIN on CBS/Paramount+ Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/rV7m8xe3TQ — NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2026 Murray certainly had other options. Tight end T.J. Hockenson at the top of the screen was wide open on a smoke route. Both Justin Jefferson and Aaron Jones were open underneath. Instead, the quarterback floated a deep shot into double coverage off his back foot. Not exactly the best start.