Uncertain to return to Minnesota in 2018

Vikings general manager Rick Spielman suggested Wednesday that Murray isn't guaranteed to return to the team in 2018, Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. "We've discussed a lot of things," Spielman said when asked if the Vikings were set with Dalvin Cook (knee) and Murray as the team's primary running backs next season. "We're very excited, Dalvin continues to rehab. We're very excited about the progress he's making and anxious to see what we are with him in the fold along with whatever combination is there."

Analysis: Though Spielman didn't say explicitly that Murray wouldn't be retained, it's clear the Vikings are still weighing whether the 28-year-old is worth bringing back at a cap hit of $6.35 million for 2018, which would make him one of the higher-paid running backs in the league. While Murray gave the Vikings quality production upon stepping in as the primary back once Cook suffered a season-ending ACL tear in Week 4, finishing with a team-high 842 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, it may be…read more

Murray rushed six times for 18 yards while bringing in both of his targets for 11 yards during Sunday's 38-7 loss to the Eagles in the NFC championship game.

Analysis: Murray struggled to find holes in the Eagles' tough run defense and his usage was blunted once the Vikings were forced to abandon the run game. He now finishes the postseason having averaged an inefficient 2.7 yards on 25 carries after averaging 3.9 yards on 216 carries during the regular season. Under contract with Minnesota for another two seasons, Murray is set to return in 2018 as the clear No. 2 runner on the depth chart behind Dalvin Cook (knee), as teammate Jerick McKinnon will be an…read more

Murray rushed 19 times for 50 yards and one touchdown while catching both of his targets for 17 yards during Sunday's 29-24 NFC divisional-round victory over the Saints.

Analysis: Murray surprisingly wasn't able to get much going against a Saints run defense that allowed the fifth-most yards per carry during the regular season. Teammate and fellow tailback Jerick McKinnon, who carried eight times for 34 yards and a score, was much more effective with his touches. Tougher sledding is sure to come in next week's NFC championship game against an Eagles team that's allowed just 3.8 yards this season, but it can't be ignored that Murray has averaged over four red-zone carries…read more

Murray had 20 carries for 111 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's win over Chicago. He also had one reception for three yards.

Analysis: Murray finishes the regular season with eight rushing touchdowns. He has eight in his last ten games after getting a larger workload after the season-ending injury to Dalvin Cook in Week 4. He should be set to get a heavy workload again in Minnesota's playoff game at home after a bye.

Murray notched 21 carries for 69 yards and caught his sole target for six yards during Saturday's 16-0 win in Green Bay.

Analysis: Murray's 22 touches outpaced all of his teammates by a long shot. As evidence, his four first-down runs were exactly half of Jerick McKinnon's entire workload (seven carries, one reception). Murray has now churned out 20-plus rushes in three of the last five games, a span in which he's averaged 76 yards from scrimmage per contest and two touchdowns. Due to the pounding taken during that stretch, he may be given a respite Week 17 if the Vikings lock up the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs by the…read more

Murray rushed 20 times for 76 yards and a touchdown while adding a 28-yard catch on his lone target in Sunday's 34-7 drubbing of the Bengals.

Analysis: Murray got the scoring started with a one-yard plunge in the first quarter and was clearly the go-to rushing option over Jerick McKinnon (nine carries for 24 yards). While McKinnon made his mark with over 100 yards as a receiver, Murray remains the better bet for short-yardage scores. The former Oakland running back now has six rushing touchdowns in his past eight games.

Murray said he still deals with general soreness in his surgically repaired ankle, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Analysis: This is at least the second time this season that Murray has mentioned the lingering effects of his March ankle surgery. Of course, it was a much bigger concern when he talked about the ankle in early October, at which point he'd taken only 14 carries for 38 yards in four games. He's since emerged as the more reliable half of a split backfield with Jerick McKinnon, averaging 3.9 yards per carry on 15.7 totes per game (60.9 yards) since Dalvin Cook suffered a torn ACL in Week 4. Given that…read more

Murray rushed nine times for 14 yards and caught both of his targets for six yards in Sunday's 31-24 loss to Carolina.

Analysis: Murray got two more touches than Jerick McKinnon, but gained 35 fewer yards from scrimmage. The former Raiders running back came in with 323 yards and four touchdowns on the ground over the previous four weeks, so this performance should be viewed as an outlier rather than a precursor of more struggles to come.

Murray carried 16 times for 76 yards and caught all three targets for an additional 21 yards during Sunday's 14-9 win over the Falcons.

Analysis: Murray gashed the Falcons on several occasions, including a 30-yard gain where he bounced off multiple defenders before going to the ground. His contributions in the passing game marked his best performance of the season in that regard and he out-touched Jerick McKinnon yet again. Murray has averaged 80.8 rushing yards per game over the last four, with four touchdowns during that span as well. He's emerging as a solid weekly contributor and will look to continue his recent success next week…read more

Finds end zone in win

Murray rushed 20 times for 84 yards and a touchdown during Thursday's 30-23 win over Detroit.

Analysis: Somewhat quietly, Murray has now compiled 399 rushing yards and five scores through his past five games. He continues to split snaps and carries with Jerick McKinnon, but the timeshare hasn't significantly hindered the fantasy value of either back. After all, a two-man committee in a high-volume rushing attack still provides plenty of opportunities. Additionally, Murray's value is buoyed by his usage near the goal line, as he's now up to 27 red-zone carries through the past eight games.

Murray rushed 15 times for 95 yards and two touchdowns while also hauling in his only target for one yard in Sunday's 24-7 win over the Rams.

Analysis: Murray and Jerick McKinnon notably came within just one carry of a 50/50 split of rushing touches, but the former was clearly the more effective of the two. The five-year veteran equaled his best yards per carry figure of the season (6.3) while also logging his third and fourth rushing scores in the last four contests. Murray has yet to reach the 20-carry mark in any game this season, but the 27-year-old appears to finally be at full health following offseason ankle surgery if his recent…read more