Cardinals Intend To Release Kyler Murray
Quarterback Kyler Murray‘s time in Arizona is up. Barring a trade, the Cardinals informed Murray they will release him on the first day of the league year, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
The Cardinals have hoped to pull off a Murray trade for at least several weeks, but they have had no luck finding a taker. Not only is Murray on a pricey contract, but he sat out 12 games last season with a mid-foot sprain and did not play past Week 5. It was the second significant injury during Murray’s seven-year career. The former No. 1 pick previously tore his ACL in 2022.
[RELATED: Vikings Expected To Pursue Murray As FA]
A release is the preferred outcome for Murray, who will have the freedom to choose his second NFL employer once the Cardinals officially cut him. On the other hand, it’s less than ideal for the team. Along with receiving no compensation for Murray, Arizona will take on a mammoth amount of dead money.
If Murray is not designated a post-June 1 release, the Cardinals will absorb a $54.72MM charge and lose over $2MM in cap space in 2026. A post-June 1 release would spread $77.25MM in dead money over two years (including $70.05MM in 2026). The Cardinals would also lose $17.39MM in cap space next season. The only silver lining for Arizona is that it will escape paying Murray a $19.5MM salary for 2027 that would have vested on the fifth day of the upcoming league year.
Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort was not part of the organization when Murray signed a five-year, $230MM extension in July 2022. Steve Keim was at the helm then, at which point Murray’s stock was at an all-time high. The former Oklahoma Heisman Trophy winner took home Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in his NFL debut before earning back-to-back original-ballot Pro Bowl nods from 2020-21.
The Cardinals won 11 games to break a five-year playoff drought in Murray’s third season, but the Rams leveled them in the wild-card round. While Murray’s extension came several months later, he and the organization have fallen off dramatically since then. The descent began before Murray’s Week 14 ACL tear in 2022. The Cardinals had already lost eight of their first 12 games by then. They went on to finish 4-13. Jonathan Gannon replaced Kliff Kingsbury as the Cardinals’ head coach after the season.
With Murray’s recovery dragging into November 2023, the Cardinals were 1-8 when he returned to make his first start in Week 10. Murray spent the last eight weeks of the year shaking off the rust, and the Cardinals logged their second straight four-win season to begin the Gannon era.
Murray and the Cardinals showed some signs of a rebound in 2024. In Murray’s lone 17-game season to date, the 5-foot-10, 207-pounder completed 68.8% of passes for 3,851 yards (7.1 per attempt), 21 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, a 93.5 passer rating and a career-best 63.4 QBR. As a runner, the mobile Murray piled up 572 yards on a lofty 7.3 per carry and scored five more TDs. The Cardinals went 8-9 with a plus-21 point differential.
Any progress the Cardinals may have made two years ago vanished during Murray’s injury-wrecked final season in their uniform. After Murray and backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett combined for a 3-14 mark, Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill retained Ossenfort but fired Gannon. Mike LaFleur is now in place as the Cardinals’ head coach. He will either work with Brissett or a different starter in his first year in charge.
Set to turn 29 in August, Murray should draw a decent amount of interest in free agency on a prove-it contract. The Vikings are rumored to have interest in Murray, but they’re just one of several teams in the market for a potential starter.
Colts Place Transition Tag On Daniel Jones
To no surprise, Colts pending free agent quarterback Daniel Jones will not reach the open market unfettered. The Colts are placing the $37.833MM transition tag on Jones, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network was among those to report.
This has been the expected outcome for at least a few days, though it will prevent the Colts from placing either the franchise or transition tag on pending free agent wide receiver Alec Pierce. Teams are only allowed to tag one player. The Colts and Pierce are progressing toward a multiyear deal. Indianapolis will have exclusive negotiating rights with Pierce until the legal tampering period opens March 9.
The 28-year-old Jones follows Jeff George (Falcons, 1996) as the second quarterback to receive the transition tag since the NFL introduced it in 1993. Unlike the franchise tag, a team that loses a transition player to an offer sheet is not entitled to any compensation. The Colts still have the right to match any offer that may come in, though, and they have until July 15 to continue working toward a multiyear agreement.
Jones, whom the Giants drafted sixth overall in 2019, has already signed one massive contract in his career. With the Giants of the belief Jones was a franchise QB, they inked him to a four-year, $160MM extension in March 2023. That wound up a regrettable decision for New York, which waived a struggling Jones in November 2024. He quickly joined the Vikings’ practice squad, but with Sam Darnold their starter then, Jones saw no game action.
The Vikings allowed Darnold to leave for Seattle in free agency last March. Jones exited for Indianapolis’ $14MM payday, but not before he turned down a richer offer from Minnesota. He believed he had a better path to playing time with the Colts than the Vikings, who were prepared to hand the reins to 2024 first-rounder J.J. McCarthy. The Colts also have a recent first-round QB in Anthony Richardson, though his stock has dropped considerably since he went fourth in the 2023 draft. Jones had little trouble beating out Richardson to become the Colts’ starter entering last season.
While expectations were low for the Jones-led Colts at the outset of the season, they stormed to a 7-2 start before the Nov. 4 trade deadline. Jones looked like a far better player than the one who regularly underwhelmed with the Giants. With the Colts in contention for the No. 1 seed in the AFC at the time, general manager Chris Ballard traded his 2026 and ’27 first-round picks to the Jets for star cornerback Sauce Gardner. The gamble blew up in Ballard’s face during an injury-ravaged second half for the Colts.
Gardner, No. 2 corner Charvarius Ward and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner all missed significant time down the stretch. Worst of all, Jones tore his Achilles in a Week 14 loss to the AFC South rival Jaguars. That proved to be a fatal blow for the Colts, who lost their third straight game that day and did not win again.
Bringing 44-year-old Philip Rivers out of retirement to help cover for season-ending injuries to Jones and Richardson (orbital fracture) did not stop the bleeding for the Colts. Once 8-2, they closed the year on a seven-game skid and finished 8-9 for the second season in a row. Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon nonetheless retained Ballard and head coach Shane Steichen.
Although Jones is just three months removed from a serious injury, the Colts are optimistic enough about his recovery to risk a $37.833MM guarantee for next season. Richardson, who has requested a trade, and 2025 sixth-round pick Riley Leonard are the only other passers on the Colts’ roster. There is still at least some chance the Colts will lose Jones (the Vikings are reportedly interested in a reunion), which will continue to make this an interesting situation to watch.
Jets Place Franchise Tag On Breece Hall
Hours before the tag deadline, the Jets have made their call with respect to Breece Hall. The franchise tag will be applied, as first reported by NFL insider Jordan Schultz. The Jets have since announced the news, with the non-exclusive tag being used. 
Conversations on a long-term deal were ongoing, and today’s move will buy time for further negotiations to take place. The transition tag had been floated as a potential route for the Jets to take in this case, but SNY’s Connor Hughes reports multiple teams made it clear at last week’s Combine they would be prepared to move forward with an offer sheet in that event. To prevent such a scenario, the franchise tag will be used instead.
As a result, Hall is now on course to collect $14.29MM in 2026. That figure will be fully guaranteed, and it will match the 24-year-old’s cap charge for next season. Hughes reports the Jets expect Hall to play on the tag, but there are now several months of runway for team and player to work out an extension.
A report from earlier today indicated an agreement on that front was not close, pointing toward the tag being used. GM Darren Mougey had already made it clear New York would be tagging Hall in one fashion or another, and choosing the more common option ensures he will remain in place. Attention will now turn to the progress of extension talks through the spring. July 15 is the deadline for all tagged players to work out a long-term agreement with their respective teams.
This is the first time the Jets have used the franchise tag since 2021 when they did so with safety Marcus Maye. No multiyear accord wound up being agreed to in that case, and Maye departed the following year. Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn have shown a willingness to trade away players they inherited upon arrival in 2024, and more moves in that regard could be coming. Hall did not find himself in position to land an extension last spring, but today’s news confirms he is still at least in New York’s short-term plans.
The Iowa State product set a new career high in rushing yards this past season, topping 1,000 for the first time. Hall has remained a focal point on offense since recovering from an ACL tear in his rookie campaign, handling between 266 and 299 touches each of the past three seasons. Even if the Jets manage to make needed improvements on offense this spring, Hall figures to once again be a major presence for the unit. Another strong showing would boost his market value for 2027 (if applicable).
The Jets entered Tuesday with nearly $88MM in cap space, so absorbing the cap hit of this tag will not be difficult even if no long-term agreement winds up being finalized. Aside from Hall negotiations, New York’s attention will turn to the matter of finding a new starting quarterback. Despite owning the second overall pick in April’s draft (along with another first-rounder), bringing in a rookie capable of handling QB1 duties right away may not be feasible. As such, at least one veteran addition when free agency opens next week will be something to watch for.
Only three running back contracts currently carry an average annual value higher than the price of Hall’s tag. It will be interesting to see if he manages to land security beyond 2026 as negotiations continue or if he will enter next season as a pending free agent.
Vikings ‘Open’ To Trading Jonathan Greenard; Team Seeking Day 2 Pick?
11:23pm: Greenard is seeking a raise over his $19MM salary, according to Albert Breer of SI.com. The Vikings are “comfortable” with Greenard’s current deal, but they could move him for a “big offer,” Breer adds.
1:26pm: Although outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard is only halfway into a four-year, $76MM contract, the cap-strapped Vikings are “open” to dealing him, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Teams are of the belief the Vikings want a Day 2 draft pick in return, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
At approximately $46.49MM over the salary cap, the Vikings are mired in the second-worst financial situation in the NFL. The forthcoming releases of running back Aaron Jones and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave will clear around $18.65MM from their books in 2026. Finding a taker for Greenard before June 1 would save the Vikings another $12.25MM, though they would also absorb a $9.9MM dead money charge.
Moving on from Greenard would help the Vikings get under the cap, but it would also deprive the team of one its best defenders. With that in mind, the Vikings would prefer to keep Greenard, according to Schefter. The former Texan had a tremendous debut with Minnesota in 2024, when he posted his first 17-game/start campaign and notched 59 tackles, 22 QB hits, 18 TFL, 12 sacks and four forced fumbles.
Greenard earned his lone Pro Bowl nod in his first year in Minnesota, though left shoulder troubles contributed to a noticeable drop in production last season. The 28-year-old totaled 38 tackles, 12 QB hits, 10 TFL, three sacks and a forced fumble over 12 games (10 starts). The Vikings shut him down in favor of season-ending surgery in mid-December.
“It was something he was playing through,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said at the time. “He knew he would not be able to put this behind him until probably he got it fixed, whenever that was going to be.”
Greenard will aim for a healthy rebound season in 2026, though it is now up in the air whether he’ll be in a different uniform by then. If he goes elsewhere, the Vikings would continue to rely on Dallas Turner and Andrew Van Ginkel as key pass rushers.
Tepid Market For QB Derek Carr
Quarterback dominoes will soon begin falling around the league. One potential wild card at the position could be Derek Carr, who is giving thought to an NFL return. 
Carr retired during the 2025 offseason in a decision which ended his run with the Saints and allowed his injured throwing shoulder to heal. An NFL comeback is now being explored, although it remains to be seen if suitors will emerge in the near future. It appears as though there is currently little interest in this case.
Conversations SportsBoom’s Jason La Canfora had with quarterback-needy teams “revealed no appetite” exists at this point for Carr. The four-time Pro Bowler is a full season removed from his last NFL action, and his two-year run as New Orleans’ starter largely fell short of expectations. Carr remains under contract with the Saints, a factor which could complicate any acquisition on the part of an interested team.
An agent La Canfora spoke with echoed the sentiment that Carr, who will turn 35 later this month, is not considered a major threat to the signal-callers set to reach free agency. Malik Willis will be the most in-demand QB of 2026, while at least most of Kyler Murray, Tua Tagovailoa, Kirk Cousins and Geno Smith are positioned to be released shortly. Teams can pursue them without needing to work out a trade agreement, something which could easily leave Carr as a relatively unattractive option on the market. Even in advance of a weak draft class, Carr could struggle to find a starting gig.
The longtime Raiders passer has indicated he will be picky when evaluating his options. Joining a contender represents an obvious goal for Carr, who has made only one playoff start (a loss in 2021) in 11 NFL seasons to date. The Saints seem to have their long-term starter in the form of Tyler Shough, so they would presumably be amenable to most trade offers for Carr. Whether or not bids will be made to make a swap feasible is still unclear, though.
Tyler Linderbaum Aiming For $25MM Per Year?
The Ravens did not place a franchise or transition tag on Tyler Linderbaum on Tuesday, setting him up to hit the open market next week. He is expected to receive a massive contract, though perhaps not quite as much as he is seeking.
Linderbaum is aiming for $25MM per year in free agency, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, who expressed some doubt that the Pro Bowl center could hit that number. However, his next contract still reset the center market – currently capped by Creed Humphrey‘s $18MM AAV – by a significant margin.
Baltimore has been working to re-sign Linderbaum, but he (and his agent) know how many teams need a center and will gladly pay a premium price to land the best one to hit free agency in years.
The Ravens need to improve their offensive line this offseason, not downgrade it, but they also need to address their pass rush – another costly venture – with a limited budget. Getting into a bidding war for Linderbaum would be out of character for general manager Eric DeCosta, who prefers to fill needs with value signings during free agency.
If Linderbaum does not re-up with the Ravens, he will likely be the most coveted player in free agency. Drew Dalman‘s sudden retirement brought another club into a center market that was already crowded with buyers. Linderbaum’s agent will be able to play teams’ offers against each other and drive up his price tags, but teams will have a limit. Though he is one of the league’s best run-blockers, he is not elite in pass protection. Teams are unlikely to pay him like a top offensive tackle at $25MM or more, though breaking into the high end of the guard market seems within reach.
Giants Interested In RB Kenneth Walker, Travis Etienne; Latest On New York’s FA Approach
While maybe not reaching Kirk Cousins– or Antonio Brown-level PFR volume, Saquon Barkley‘s final years as a Giant took up considerable space here. Giants brass could not extend him in 2022, franchise-tagged the Pro Bowler in 2023 and drew a hard line on his value in 2024 when no offer emerged. The Eagles benefited.
The Giants have since revamped their power structure, and it looks to be affecting their valuation of veteran running backs. With John Harbaugh calling the shots now and Joe Schoen losing considerable power, ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan notes the Giants are believed to be interested in Kenneth Walker and Travis Etienne.
[RELATED: Giants Aiming To Trade OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux]
New York is showing considerable interest in beefing up its ground game, with Raanan adding connections to Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love have emerged as well. Love is viewed by some as this draft’s top prospect. His positional value will naturally result in a bit of a drop, but the Fighting Irish standout should not need to wait too long before hearing his name called in April. The Giants, who hold the No. 5 overall pick, striking early for a high-end free agent RB would seemingly send Love elsewhere.
With Breece Hall officially franchise-tagged at today’s deadline, Walker is expected to fetch the top RB contract in free agency. Confirming the Giants are interested, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan wonders if the team would be willing to go where that market ends up considering the team has other needs. That could be where Etienne comes in, with some more affordable backs — from Rico Dowdle to Tyler Allgeier to Kenneth Gainwell — set to be available too. Though, SNY’s Connor Hughes adds a “strong” push for a veteran starter-level option should be expected.
Walker, 25, is looking likely to reach free agency. Mutual interest exists between the Super Bowl MVP and the Seahawks, but they lose exclusive negotiating rights at 11am CT March 9, when the legal tampering period begins. Etienne, 27, played out his fifth-year option in Jacksonville and has more career carries — after a higher-volume college career — than Walker. His market should not be as costly, but the five-year Jaguar is better in pass protection and as a receiver.
The Giants have Cam Skattebo signed through 2027, and Tyrone Tracy‘s rookie deal runs through 2026. But Harbaugh is now calling the shots. Schoen said he is still leading the football operation, but Duggan confirmed a recent report that indicates new hire Dawn Aponte reports directly to Harbaugh. Schoen also confirmed (via the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard) the Giants’ analytics and video departments now report to Aponte, creating a strange dynamic for the contract-year GM. Schoen still oversees the scouting department.
The Giants have had their GMs report to ownership for eons, but they adjusted the long-held structure for Harbaugh, whose imprint on the roster will be felt soon. Schoen did not confirm he would solely run free agency; it can be expected Harbaugh and Aponte will have significant say in that effort. More cap cuts are coming, but the Giants are still interested in retaining some of their own.
Already mentioned as being interested in retaining Wan’Dale Robinson, the Giants are seeing what it will take to keep Jermaine Eluemunor and Cor’Dale Flott. Harbaugh said (via the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz) the team wants to keep all three UFAs-to-be. The Giants met with David Mulugheta, who represents Eluemunor and Flott, at the Combine, Duggan adds.
Eluemunor, 31, maneuvered for a two-year deal in 2024 — an underrated subplot in HBO’s captivating Hard Knocks: Offseason effort — and it looks likely to work to his advantage. Braden Smith appears to be this market’s top right tackle, but he is coming off three seasons shortened by either injury or illness.
Eluemunor played both RT and LT in New York, starting all 31 games he played from 2024-25. His health stands to create a solid market, as both Smith and Jack Conklin come with notable injury pasts. Eluemunor also began his career with the Ravens, playing for Harbaugh from 2017-18. If Eluemunor departs, Duggan notes the team will be expected to pursue a free agent RT replacement.
Flott, 24, overtook former first-rounder Deonte Banks in Big Blue’s cornerback hierarchy. He outplayed the 2023 draftee opposite Paulson Adebo last season and may do reasonably well on the market. He is one of the youngest corners available. Converted from a slot player to primarily a boundary defender, Flott started 37 games with the Giants.
While Banks’ rookie deal runs through 2026, he has been linked to trade rumors amid a disappointing tenure. Harbaugh’s team will likely pursue an outside replacement if Flott departs. He is expected to draw significant FA interest, per Hughes, which could put the Giants in the market for a replacement.
Schwartz adds the Giants have “varying degrees of interest” in retaining tight end Daniel Bellinger and linebacker Micah McFadden. The Giants are higher on third-year veteran Theo Johnson than most around the league, Duggan adds, to the point Isaiah Likely may not be a strong candidate to follow Harbaugh from Baltimore.
Still, Hughes indicates tight end should be considered a priority in free agency. If Likely is deemed too pricey, the likes of Cade Otton, Chig Okonkwo, David Njoku and Dallas Goedert are poised to be available. Will this pursuit be to replace Johnson or complement him?
A 42-game starter on his rookie contract, Bellinger has played at least 51% of the Giants’ offensive snaps in three of his four seasons. He was used more frequently before Johnson’s arrival, however. McFadden started 36 games during his rookie deal but was limited to one in 2025; a season-ending foot injury in Week 1 impacted his free agent stock. The Giants releasing Bobby Okereke tonight and having McFadden unsigned makes linebacker a key need, one of a few the team carries into free agency.
RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/3/26
No teams placed tenders on any of their restricted free agents on Tuesday, but three made decisions on exclusive rights free agents:
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Texans: CB Ja’Marcus Ingram
- 49ers: OT Austen Pleasants
Nontendered:
- Buccaneers: OLB Markees Watts
Vikings Expected To Pursue Kyler Murray
The Cardinals are expected to part ways with Kyler Murray, but he is unlikely to be out of a job for long. The NFL’s quarterback carousel will ensure that the former No. 1 pick has multiple suitors, with the Vikings expected to be among them.
Minnesota is exploring alternatives to J.J. McCarthy this offseason, but they are doing so with a very tight salary cap picture. That makes Murray especially appealing, as he will be available for the veteran minimum with Arizona still paying out his remaining guaranteed salary.
Indeed, the 28-year-old is “at — or near — the top of the Vikings’ list,” according to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. Though the team is not completely out on McCarthy, they are also open to adding a clear, instant upgrade as opposed to competition for the starting job.
Murray would fall into the first category with 87 starts and two Pro Bowls under his belt. He has spent much of the last four years injured, but put up a solid performance in 2024, his only fully-healthy season since 2020. After seeing Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones parlay stints with the Vikings into starting jobs elsewhere, Murray will likely be open to, if not interested in throwing passes to Justin Jefferson in Kevin O’Connell‘s offense.
Success with Murray could set him up for a multi-year payday, similar to refurbished passers like Darnold and Baker Mayfield. The Vikings opted not to retain Darnold after he led them to a 14-3 record in 2024, but their waning faith in McCarthy and change at general manager could lead them down a different path with Murray. Minnesota could decline McCarthy’s fifth-year option next offseason – making him a potential reclamation project for another team – and, like the Buccaneers with Mayfield, charge into the future with their new veteran quarterback.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/3/26
Today featured several major moves around the NFL, but only one minor one:
Cleveland Browns
- Released: C Justin Osborne
As if letting their entire starting offensive line was not enough, the Browns have now released reserve center Justin Osborne, who missed the entire 2025 season with a back injury.