Kyler Murray and the Minnesota Vikings remain undefeated after a 23-13 Week 5 win over the New Orleans Saints.
Meanwhile, Jacoby Brissett and the Arizona Cardinals now find themselves at 1-4 following their 45-21 loss to the Detroit Lions.
This week was just further confirmation of who's winning the breakup. Retaining Murray wouldn't have solved all the Cardinals' problems, but the fact that their struggles continue also shows that Murray was never truly the problem.
Cardinals failed to build around Kyler Murray
Relative to expectations as the Cardinals' No. 1 overall pick in 2019, Murray has failed to deliver. But as we're seeing this season, that was more due to Arizona's inability to surround him with the necessary pieces.
From top to bottom, the Vikings are a great example of how to build a playoff-level roster without having a star quarterback. We can't declare them "quarterback-proof" as even this roster couldn't mask the flaws of J.J. McCarthy last season, but they're as close as you can get.
That's easier said than done in a league that values the position at a premium. Still, it's the direction the rebuilding Cardinals must head as they move on from their Kyler Murray era.
They've even decided to move on from their Marvin Harrison Jr. era, officially sending their young wide receiver to the Houston Texans in a package headlined by a 2027 second-round pick. The fact that Harrison was inactive in this blowout to the Lions also goes to show that these roster flaws went well beyond his struggles or the draft bust narrative to start his career.
Eventually, the Cardinals need to find that quarterback upgrade over Brissett. They seemed to have known that when they didn't add any more years to his reworked deal. And that should even be clearer now that they once again sit at the bottom of the NFC West with a 1-4 record.
The one silver lining is that the downgrade from Murray to Brissett is helping Arizona continue to lose football games, which will boost their draft position and consequently their chances at finding that long-term answer at signal caller in the draft.
Murray and the Cardinals were stuck in purgatory. But considering the Vikings simply find ways to continue winning football games with him at quarterback, one has to wonder who's to blame for that partnership not meeting expectations.
Finding a replacement for Murray needs to be the Cardinals' top priority. But until they find that solution, it's imperative they continue building on the foundation -- offensive line, overall defense, etc. These are the types of areas the Vikings thrive compared to the Cardinals, and it's making all the difference in the world for Murray.
Now five games into the 2026 season, it's clear who's benefited more from the breakup between Murray and the Cardinals.
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