Trey McBride Dismisses the Ridiculous Kyler Murray Narrative

Have you heard the one about Kyler Murray? The guy loves video games so much that it interferes with his daytime job, playing in the NFL as a starting quarterback? If you’ve ever found merit in that rumor, Murray’s former teammate, Trey McBride, has a message for you.

McBride spoke with Bussin’ with the Boys this week and laid the video game talker to rest. It isn’t true.

McBride Gives Vikings Fans a Cleaner Read on Murray

McBride: Murray Never Said a Single Word about Video Games

McBride played alongside Murray for four years — so the same amount that Justin Jefferson played with Kirk Cousins — enough to know about his habits.

Bussin’ with the Boys asked McBride about Murray’s alleged ardor for Call of Duty, and he replied, “It was never really a thing. He never talked about playing video games, but every single week he was in the media…he never talked about gaming or anything. I think they were just finding any stat to get on him.”

McBride added about Murray’s on-the-field tools, “Kyler’s not the tallest guy. He’s a baseball guy, so he throws from every different arm angle. He’s scrambling around so he’s a very different quarterback than I’ve played with. It was cool, we had a lot of success together.”

An Internet Rumor with a Life of Its Own

Somewhere along the line, approximately five to six years ago, NFL fans collectively decided that Murray loved video games and that hobby prevented him from reaching his full potential. It was almost like the Mandela Effect. It showed up online, and folks decided to remember it without fact-checking.

People even constructed Reddit threads to study Murray’s efficiency around video game release dates, unreal behavior for folks with too much time on their hands.

Zone Coverage‘s Tom Schreier noted earlier in the offseason, “Four years ago, a Reddit poster discovered that Kyler Murray played worse in games that coincided with Call of Duty ‘double experience’ weekends. In Call of Duty’s multiplayer mode, players compete online to rack up the most “kills” in the military shooter. On certain weekends, players get double the experience points, which lets them improve their weapons and gives them an edge over the competition.:

“Many athletes play video games. They’re a healthy way to relax after a tough game or hard practice. Professional athletes are naturally competitive and want to dominate a popular game that anyone with a console and internet connection can play.”

Then, when the Cardinals extended Murray’s contract four years ago, they initially built in the infamous “study hall clause,” and those tracking Murray’s video game enjoyment lost their minds while feeling vindicated.

Since then, the joke/theory just stuck: Murray prefers video games to real life.

… and Who Cares about Video Games Anyway?

Listen, the Vikings have a wide receiver named Jordan Addison who has been arrested three times since joining the franchise. If video games were his problem, fans would rejoice because it would imply his worst deed is playing too many.

There are worse problems to have than Murray playing video games — if that narrative is quasi-true in the first place. If Murray likes to play them, and he just so happens to throw for 3,900+ passing yards, post 30 total touchdowns, and bank 600+ rushing yards every 17 starts — those are his career numbers — let him have his hobby. Mind ‘ya business.

A Chance to Be the Vikings’ Long-Term QB

If Murray performs at his usual level, the situation in Minnesota simplifies quickly: the Vikings would undoubtedly retain him next offseason. Having already let Sam Darnold depart once, they won’t make the same mistake with a quarterback who effectively ran Kevin O’Connell’s offense.

This presents an ideal scenario for Murray. He could leverage 2026 as a stepping stone to a long-term future with the Vikings, securing a significant extension and the QB1 position well into his thirties. With Minnesota’s infrastructure and Murray’s track record, this is his prime opportunity to transform a fresh start into a permanent role.

Conversely, if Murray underperforms, the Vikings can thank him for his one year of service and move on in 2027. He would then enter free agency as a recognizable quarterback but with more questions than answers. A team like the New York Jets might be a fit, but it would require Murray to rebuild his reputation elsewhere.

Thus, this season is pivotal. Murray could either establish himself as Minnesota’s long-term signal-caller or embark on the next phase of his career as a high-profile journeyman. The stakes are skyhigh.

All he has to do is ball out. If he happens to play video games along the way, all the power to him. Who cares? McBride says the narrative isn’t even true.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker