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.
Jets Notes: Draft, McDonald, Cook, Cross, Vera-Tucker, Simpson, Davis
Trading former first-round pick Jermaine Johnson to the Titans, the Jets look to have opened the door to selecting another edge rusher with the No. 2 overall pick. As PFR’s Adam La Rose indicated when the team shipped Johnson to Nashville for T’Vondre Sweat, the trade could certainly telegraph the Jets’ draft plans.
With the Raiders almost certain to draft Fernando Mendoza first overall, the Jets are expected to have their pick of edge rushers. Arvell Reese and David Bailey look to be the top candidates for that slot, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini notes. Reese has played on and the ball as a standout Ohio State linebacker, but he looks to want a shot on the edge to start his NFL career.
The Jets will still be considered likely to exercise Will McDonald‘s fifth-year option ($14.48MM), but the Joe Douglas-era investment looks on the verge of teaming with a big-ticket rookie draftee. That would make three first-round edge defenders in five drafts for New York, which selected Johnson in 2022 and McDonald in ’23.
The Jets have lost Johnson, Quinnen Williams, Haason Reddick, John Franklin-Myers and Bryce Huff from their D-line since the 2024 free agency period. With Micheal Clemons on track for free agency, McDonald is the last man standing here. The Jets are believed to be interested in unloading more Douglas-era pieces, and two more figure to be on the move next week.
Both Alijah Vera-Tucker and John Simpson are expected to depart in free agency, Essentiallysports.com’s Tony Pauline adds. That will create glaring Gang Green guard needs. It should not be considered a certainty both leave, though, as Cimini counters by saying the Jets will keep in touch with both blockers. Both interior linemen are, however, expected to at least test the market next week.
Vera-Tucker’s market would be booming had he not missed all of last season — with his third major injury since entering the NFL in 2021 — with a triceps tear. Simpson started two seasons at left guard in New York, not missing a game during that span. Simpson will be heading into an age-29 season, while Vera-Tucker will turn 27 in June.
This Jets regime will be looking to add replacements across the roster, holding more than $74MM in cap space. They have Tony Adams and 2025 UFA addition Andre Cisco bound for the market, and Cimini adds that Bryan Cook and Nick Cross are two safeties the team is believed to have its eye on.
Cook worked as a four-year Chiefs starter, starting every Kansas City game over the past two seasons. The former Super Bowl starter ranked as Pro Football Focus’ No. 4 overall safety in 2025. A two-year Colts starter, Cross has been incredibly productive since being inserted into Indianapolis’ lineup. He has combined for 266 tackles (11 for loss) over the past two seasons, also not missing a game in that span. The Colts, who transition-tagged Daniel Jones today and have four DBs tied to eight-figure-per-year salaries, are likely to let Cross walk next week.
Minkah Fitzpatrick also looms as a name to monitor, per Cimini, who reminds new DC Brian Duker coached the recent Dolphins reacquisition as Miami’s defensive pass-game coordinator last season. One year remains on Fitzpatrick’s Steelers-designed/Dolphins-adjusted pact, which Miami’s new regime is believed to be trying to trade. The Jets are also believed to be eyeing edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad — who played for Aaron Glenn in Detroit in 2024 — and Cimini confirms a recent report that tied the team to ex-Glenn Lions LB pupil Alex Anzalone.
An interesting reunion may be in the Jets’ plans as well. Demario Davis is back on the team’s radar, Pauline adds. The Jets are believed to be targeting the 14-year veteran — originally a Jets draftee back in 2012 — ahead of his age-37 season. Davis, who already logged two Jets stints (2012-15, 2017), has become one of the league’s best off-ball LBs since relocating to New Orleans. Glenn was on the Saints’ staff for three of Davis’ eight New Orleans seasons.
The prolific Saints tackler has racked up five All-Pro nods (four second-team placements) as a Saint. The Jets gave Jamien Sherwood a three-year, $45MM deal to stay but are almost certain to lose Quincy Williams — a Robert Saleh-Jeff Ulbrich All-Pro piece who drew trade buzz before the deadline — in free agency.
Closing out this Jets rundown, the team’s aging kicker — Nick Folk — is not looking to retire just yet. The 41-year-old kicker, who joins Davis in being a two-stint Jet, is aiming to play at 42 in 2026, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero adds. Despite his advancing age, the 2007 UDFA has led the NFL in accuracy in each of the past three seasons. This included a 96.6% make rate in 2025, when Folk made 7 of 8 tries from beyond 50 yards.
Steelers Discussed Brian Thomas Jr. With Jaguars; Teams Interested In TE Pat Freiermuth
A frequent shopper for wide receiver help in 2024, the Steelers found their new lead option by trading for D.K. Metcalf last March. But the team soon dealt George Pickens, who played well enough to command a Cowboys franchise tag last week. Pittsburgh is still searching for receiving help.
Before last year’s deadline, the Steelers were one of the teams to call the Jaguars on Brian Thomas Jr., per The Pat McAfee Show’s Mark Kaboly. Talks fell through, and the Jags held onto the 2024 first-round pick amid his sophomore slump. With the Jags extending Jakobi Meyers, Thomas — a Trent Baalke draftee — could still be available. But with Jacksonville set to use Travis Hunter more as a cornerback in 2026, the team would create a big need of its own by moving Thomas — in what would amount to a sell-low transaction.
After a breakthrough rookie season, the LSU product caught just 48 passes for 707 yards in 2025. His touchdown total plummeted from 10 to two, as Meyers became a more important part of the Jags’ attack following his deadline arrival. Two years remain on Thomas’ rookie contract.
The Steelers have Calvin Austin, Scott Miller and Marquez Valdes-Scantling unsigned. The team agreed not to void Metcalf’s 2026 guarantees, an option available after the mercurial wideout’s two-game suspension, but will be hunting for complementary help. Roman Wilson has not taken off, stalling the Steelers’ run of finding wideout gems on Day 2. The Steelers figure to be in the market for free agency help and will be a team to monitor in the draft. Pittsburgh has not drafted a first-round wideout since Santonio Holmes 20 years ago but has added numerous receiving options in Rounds 2-3 since.
Elsewhere within the Steelers’ skill-position cadre, Kenneth Gainwell is likely to see a raise soon. The former Eagles backup played the 2025 season on a one-year, $1.79MM pact and earned team MVP honors, totaling 1,023 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns. The Steelers want to re-sign Gainwell, with GM Omar Khan indicating (via ESPN.com’s Brooke Pryor) talks with the running back’s camp have commenced.
While the Steelers are interested in a second Gainwell contract, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac indicates they are unlikely to reward him with a deal that exceeds Jaylen Warren‘s 2025 extension (two years, $11.9MM).
Pittsburgh used a third-round pick on Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson but effectively gave him a redshirt year behind Warren and Gainwell. Even with Breece Hall off the market, the RB position is fairly deep — to the point Pittsburgh could conceivably bring back Gainwell at a reasonable rate. But it is also quite possible Johnson moves up on the depth chart after Gainwell defects next week.
At tight end, the Steelers are likely interested in extending Darnell Washington. The supersized pass catcher has one season remaining on his rookie contract, and Khan (via Kaboly) pointed to interest on the team’s part. The Steelers rolled out an interesting three-TE look last season, acquiring Jonnu Smith after having extended Pat Freiermuth in 2024. Freiermuth saw his usage and production decline in 2025, being given only eight starts and catching 41 passes for 486 yards — after twice eclipsing 650 in previous years.
Smith’s 2025 extension runs for one more season, and while at least six teams have expressed interest in Freiermuth (according to The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo), the Steelers are informing suitors he is unavailable. Freiermuth’s four-year, $48.1MM extension runs through 2028. Smith, 30, is not as certain to be part of Mike McCarthy‘s attack, per DeFabo. The team is evaluating how the nomadic pass catcher would be utilized alongside Freiermuth and Washington in 2026. Smith is due a $7MM base salary this season.
Isaac Seumalo joins Gainwell as a free agent-to-be. If the Steelers do not re-sign the 10-year veteran, Dulac adds they will pursue a replacement in free agency. Every other Steelers O-line starter is on a rookie contract. Seumalo, 32, figures to do fairly well on the market despite his advanced age. The two-time Super Bowl starter ranked in the top five in both pass and run block win rate last season.
The Steelers appear likelier to let Seumalo walk, Kaboly adds, with Khan indicating the team is “excited” about Spencer Anderson early in his career. A 2023 seventh-round pick, Anderson has made 11 career starts. Anderson played 193 snaps at left guard last season, also being used as a sixth O-linemen in certain packages.
Broncos Rumors: Franklin-Myers, Powers, Trautman, TE, Lewis, Singleton, Strnad
It looks like the Broncos are days away from losing John Franklin-Myers. Although a degree of interest has come from the reigning AFC West champs, no offer is believed to have come. Denver extended Courtland Sutton, Zach Allen and Nik Bonitto during training camp and then paid Luke Wattenberg, Malcolm Roach and Wil Lutz. The Allen, Bonitto and Roach extensions followed Jonathon Cooper‘s 2024 re-up and the March 2025 D.J. Jones re-signing. The writing appears on the wall for Franklin-Myers, a solid Denver starter for two seasons.
This is also an ideal time for Franklin-Myers to hit free agency, with a dearth of higher-end inside D-line options available. As a result of this clear runway, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler hears a $20MM-per-year contract may be necessary to win this FA derby. Franklin-Myers is going into an age-30 season and played out a two-year, $15MM deal. The Jets had him on a four-year, $55MM accord but traded it in a salary-dump deal during the 2024 draft. After 14.5 sacks over the past two seasons — as part of two top-three scoring defenses in Denver — the Allen sidekick is poised to be one of this free agency’s biggest winners.
Here is the latest out of Denver:
- In PFR’s Broncos Offseason Outlook piece, I mentioned Ben Powers as a trade candidate. The Wattenberg extension gave Denver five O-line salaries at $12MM or higher, and Powers is going into a contract year and approaching his 30th birthday. The three-year Broncos left guard is carrying a $17.43MM cap number and continues to be linked to a possible trade. Fowler mentions the former Raven as a player who could be on the move soon. The Broncos have former UDFA Alex Palczewski as an internal replacement; the team will likely tender Palczewski (10 2025 starts) as an RFA by the March 11 deadline. If the Broncos trade Powers, they would save $8.38MM in cap space. Denver currently holds $25.23MM — 13th-most.
- Another cost-saving measure the Broncos can take would be an Evan Engram release. Sean Payton‘s would-be “Joker” performer was not a major factor in his first season of a two-year, $23MM contract; Denver can save $6.47MM by designating Engram a post-June 1 cut. Engram, 31, is not a lock to be released, per 9News’ Mike Klis, but Payton wants to add another receiving tight end this offseason. Denver hopes to re-sign starter Adam Trautman, per Klis, but he does not contribute much as a receiver. Engram (461 yards, one TD in 2025) would join Isaiah Likely, Dallas Goedert, Cade Otton, Chig Okonkwo and David Njoku as notable TEs available if cut. One of the outside options could be in play for the Broncos if they do move on. Denver is also unlikely to tender tight end Lucas Krull as an RFA, Klis adds.
- The Broncos allowed Marcedes Lewis to set the record for seasons by a tight end (20), and no pure TE has played past 41 — Lewis’ age last season. The 2006 first-round pick is interested in playing one more season, the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson tweets. Lewis, who has interest in coaching as well, played 81 offensive snaps over five games as a Bronco last year.
- Dre Greenlaw looms as a possible cap casualty after missing nine games due to injury in his first Broncos slate. That is not certain, as Denver has regulars Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad unsigned. GM George Paton said (via the Denver Post’s Luca Evans) is interested in keeping both linebackers. A four-year Broncos starter who recovered from testicular cancer, Singleton played out a three-year, $18MM deal. He turned 32 in December. Strnad, 29, was the team’s Greenlaw sub who logged a 55% snap share last season. Strnad, Denver’s Singleton injury sub in 2024, is interested in landing a starting role somewhere after playing out a one-year, $2.87MM contract. Keeping Greenlaw, with Denver also tied to first-round ILBs in mock drafts, likely would mean at least one of the Singleton-Strnad duo exits in free agency.
Giants To Release LB Bobby Okereke
NFL teams are continuing to turn over their rosters ahead of free agent. The latest move comes from the Giants, who are planning to release linebacker Bobby Okereke, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
The move will save $9MM against the salary cap with $5.46MM in dead money, per OverTheCap. The Giants are currently $1.8MM under the 2026 cap and will need to make additional cuts and restructures to open up their budget for free agency. (New York’s contract structure leaves something to be desired, as they ended up paying Okereke $31MM for three years’ work. Typically, teams backload their contracts more aggressively for bigger potential cap savings in the final season of the deal.)
Okereke, 29, signed a four-year, $40MM contract with the Giants in 2023, which turned out to be a solid value. He immediately took over as the quarterback of the defense and wore the green dot for every snap of his debut season. The seven-year veteran was the team’s leading tackler and posted career-highs in sacks, tackles for loss, forced fumbles, and passes defended. He missed five games in 2024 with a back injury, but still played well when available. In 2025, Okereke returned for a full season and once again led the defense in tackles, though he did not make impact plays as frequently as his first two years in New York.
Once his release is officially processed, Okereke will be free to sign with other teams. His experience should draw him interest on the open market. However, a linebacker market whose growth has slowed significantly in recent years and a strong crop of free agents at the position could limit his earning potential. He should still be able to receive a multi-year deal heading into his age-30 season, though it may not be significantly higher than the last deal he signed – especially considering the growth in the salary cap in the interim.
The Giants, meanwhile, are expected to be “aggressive in finding a replacement” for their starting middle linebacker, according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan. New head coach John Harbaugh prioritized the position during his 18 years in Baltimore and will likely be looking for a new leader and tone-setter in the middle of his defense. New York currently has just two linebackers under contract in 2026 – Chris Board and Darius Muasau – neither of whom profile as starters for a defense that will need two.
The Giants will have a number of proven linebackers to pursue in free agency, though they will need to free up additional money to do so. Quay Walker, Devin Lloyd, and Devin Bush are younger options who could anchor the defense for multiple years. But the Giants also have the fifth overall pick in April’s draft and could use it on Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles after his incredible performance at the Combine. Selecting him and adding one of the many older veterans set to hit the market would give the Giants a veteran green dot-wearer and Styles a mentor as he adjusts to the pros.
Ravens Likely To Pick Up Zay Flowers’ 5th-Year Option
The NFL released the official figures for the fifth-year options of players selected in the first round of the 2023 draft. Teams now have until May 1 to decide on those options for the 2027 season.
The most expensive fifth-year option from the 2023 draft class does not belong to a quarterback, as none of the three selected in the first four picks – Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, and Anthony Richardson – reached one Pro Bowl in their first three seasons. Young and Stroud only met the playtime requirements for the second-tier option, which comes in at $25.9MM for quarterbacks. Richardson did not even get that far, but his $22.5MM will still be a non-starter for the Colts.
Instead, Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers has the NFL’s highest price tag for his 2027 option. Pro Bowl nods in each of the last two seasons pushed him into the highest tier, but the Ravens are still expected to pick up his $27.3MM fifth-year option, per ESPN’s Dan Graziano. At the moment, that would be the 13th-highest AAV of any wide receiver, though more are sure to eclipse that figure in the meantime.
Flowers is arguably already worth almost $30MM per year. After strong performances in his first two seasons, he exploded in 2025 and ranked seventh in the NFL with 1,211 receiving yards and 11th with 86 receptions. He also recorded career-highs in yards per target (10.3) and passer rating when targeted (112.6). Flowers did all this despite missing Lamar Jackson for more than four games and the rest of the offense putting up their worst performance in years.
Currently, the receiver market tops out at Ja’Marr Chase‘s $40.25MM per year with seven other making between $30MM and $35MM annually. That will briefly drop to six once the 49ers part ways with Brandon Aiyuk but should soon shoot back up as players like Drake London, Chris Olave, and George Pickens sign long-term deals. By the time 2027 rolls around, $27.3MM will look like a steal for Flowers, especially if he takes another step forward under new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle.
Flowers’ fifth-year option will also establish a solid floor for a long-term extension, as players rarely sign long-term deals with a lower AAV then their fifth-year option. However, it also limits the amount Flowers can earn in the next two years to a little less than $30MM, including his 2026 salary. The Ravens can offer him a much stronger two-year cash flow with an extension later this offseason, and the money up front might incentivize him to make a deal.
The Ravens are typically a deadline team, so do not an expect an official announcement on Flowers’ fifth-year option until after the draft.
Trey Hendrickson Among Players Who Did Not Receive Franchise Tag
Tag deadline day in the NFL came and went on Tuesday without much action. The Jets placed the franchise tag on running back Breece Hall, and the Colts used the transition tag on quarterback Daniel Jones. Hall and Jones are rounding out a small 2026 class of tagged players that also includes Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens and Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts.
As PFR’s Sam Robinson wrote in an extensive rundown of tag candidates, Trey Hendrickson, Alec Pierce, Kenneth Walker, Travis Etienne, Odafe Oweh and Jaelan Phillips represented other possibilities. All of their teams passed before the clock ran out at 3 p.m. CT. Each of them will be free to talk to other teams when the legal tampering window opens March 9.
The Bengals “never seriously considered” tagging Hendrickson, according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic. Had they done so and Hendrickson signed the tender, it would have cost $30.2MM against the Bengals’ cap next season. The four-time Pro Bowl defensive end should encounter a “strong market,” per Russini.
For his part, Hendrickson appears to already have one foot out the door. The 31-year-old took to Instagram on Tuesday to post what looks like a goodbye message to the Bengals and their fans.
“To the organization: Thank you for the opportunity to play the game I love at the highest level,” Hendrickson wrote. “The last five years have been filled with great wins and tough losses. Personal achievements and humbling adversities.”
If this is it for Hendrickson in Cincinnati, it will wrap up an enormously productive half-decade in the organization. Hendrickson spent the first four seasons of his career with the Saints before accepting the Bengals’ four-year, $60MM offer in March 2021. He relocated on the heels of what was then a career-high 13.5-sack season, but Hendrickson went on to top that number three times with the Bengals.
During his first year in Cincinnati, Hendrickson piled up 14 sacks in 16 games. The Bengals advanced to the Super Bowl for the third time in franchise history, but they lost a 23-20 nail-biter to the Rams. Hendrickson’s sack total fell to eight in 2022, though he still made his second straight Pro Bowl. The Bengals were once again among the last teams standing. However, since ending that season with a loss to the Chiefs in the AFC title game, they have not returned to the playoffs.
Heading into 2023, the Bengals awarded Hendrickson a one-year, $21MM extension to keep him in the fold through 2025. Even though Hendrickson went off for 17.5 sacks twice in a row from 2023-24, the Bengals could only muster back-to-back nine-win seasons. Hendrickson and the Bengals then engaged in a contentious contract standoff last year. Then seeking a long-term pact, Hendrickson reportedly turned down a three-year, $95MM offer. The Bengals’ rejected proposal did not include any guaranteed money after the first year of the deal.
After a drawn-out fight, the Bengals and Hendrickson finally shook hands on a revised contract in late August. Hendrickson had been in line to earn $16MM, but Cincinnati upped it to $30MM. In hindsight, it was not money well spent for the Bengals. Injuries wound up holding Hendrickson and quarterback Joe Burrow out of a combined 19 games. Their absences proved far too much to overcome during a six-win year for the club.
In what will likely end up as his final year in Cincinnati, Hendrickson played in seven games and totaled four sacks. He did not take the field past Oct. 26, but the Bengals had chances to trade him before the Nov. 4 deadline. Although the Bengals dropped their asking price from a first- to a second-rounder, they kept Hendrickson after nobody offered better than a fourth. Hendrickson, then dealing with a nagging hip issue, underwent core muscle surgery in early December. With no tag weighing him down, he can now turn his full attention to free agency.
Vikings ‘Open’ To Trading Jonathan Greenard; Team Seeking Day 2 Pick?
4:23pm: 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.
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.
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.