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.
Get ready to learn Miami buddy
One of my favorite meme comments lol
Insert Madden rating joke here 🤣
This has future Jet all over it.
What could possibly go wrong? LOL.
The Jets finishing 2026 with a better record than the Giants.
Is that an accomplishment?
Malik Willis gonna go from one Lafleur brother to the other
Four choices that make most sense are dolphins jets browns or falcons. Steelers will either bring back Rodgers or move forward with Howard
The Browns have future Hall of Famer Shedeur Sanders though?
🙄
I still think Sanders will be a good, if not very good QB. Just has to continue to mature
How dare I forget about The Chosen One™️? Excuse me
I’d add the Vikings to that list, they may be especially appealing since their championship window hasn’t quite closed yet.
Not that Murray would be the missing piece, he’ll probably crash and burn, but if he has his pick of those teams I’d guess that the Falcons and Vikings are most appealing.
Can we add a 5th option? Making back to MLB lol
Maybe * back to MLB
lol he could go mlb but according to his post farewell to Arizona he’s all football
We keep hearing how McCarthy likes the upside of Howard here. And you know, why not go this route?
We know what Rodgers is going to give them. More of the same. And Rudolph is likely in that same vein. If nothing else, I hope they can address finally getting a young guy who can play QB for years. I just don’t think Murray or Willis is that guy
And if Howard’s a dude they go get their guy in 2027
Agreed. If he’s a dud, sure
But the owner here seems to think the window to a championship is wide open here. Sure don’t know just what is in his cigars
People love to hate on him, but Murray as a cheap free agent who doesn’t even affect the comp pick formula is hands down the best quarterback option available to a needy team after Mendoza.
Underrated comment.
Won’t disagree, but would rather use the phrase QB with the best potential after Mendoza. Murray played well early in his career, but just hasn’t been the same. Not sure if it’s injuries caught up to him, or he just doesn’t care. He could’ve came back, but seemed coaches kept him on the bench with that 3 months long foot injury. The homework clause isnt a good look either. I thought the backup QB outplayed him this year, and at least threw the ball to Harrison Jr, which Murray rarely did.
You can try to say it’s all potential, but he’s vastly more proven than Willis, Jones has a worse overall track record and is coming back from a severe injury, and Rodgers and Cousins are circling the drains of their careers.
I still think Cousins has one more contract heist in him.
I’ll take the 2025 version of Jones over the 2025 version of Murray any day. You can try to say track record means something, but last year’s results mean more.
You can say last year’s results mean more, but last year for Jones resulted in a December torn achilles.
Last year for Murray resulted in an October season ending foot injury. At least Jones made it to December.
Murray scrambles and using his athletic ability. He isn’t a good pocket passer but will need to be since he’s getting older ala Russell Wilson. Jones is a much better pocket passer. I’ll take the torn achilles and pocket passing skills for the next few seasons, over the other that has to stay in the pocket, can’t see over the line, had an ACL tear, and will take sacks.
Jones also relies on his legs a lot. He also had a bigger sack problem than Murray until he went to play for a team with a better line than either of them has ever had otherwise.
Hypothetical. Do you think Murray would’ve had the same season in Indy as Jones did?
I don’t know. Same quality is possible, though the shape of it would have been different. But they’re both pretty variable QBs and I also don’t think Jones will ever have a full season as good as the first eight games of this past season were. And now Jones is coming off an achilles and will cost a lot of money, while Murray will likely sign somewhere for the veteran minimum.
Only take I have is Jacoby Brisset outplayed Murray last season, and by alot. Granted Murray only played 5 games, but they were pretty bad. Was waiting for Murray to get back in the lineup but felt the coaching staff held him out intentionally and used the foot injury as an excuse.
If you’re comparing Rodgers to Murray, agree 100%. If nothing else, he’s mobile and wouldn’t be afraid to take a hit as we see with Rodgers
But wouldn’t his addition be more kicking the can down the road?
Stop it, he’s a bust. he brings absolutely NOTHING to a new team. too small, too weak, too injured, too much of head case. No competent organization would ever sign him.
I didn’t say he was a top ten quarterback or anything. I said he was the best quarterback option available other than Mendoza. He is.
He isnt. best and QB should never be used in the same sentence when referring to Murray. I would rather have Garoppolo, or give Willis a try, or just stay with whatever QB is already on your team would be better than Murray.
lol ok. Garoppolo is an injury waiting to happen. Last time he started multiple games, in 2023, he was injured AND bad. Now he’s 36. Willis is worth a look for someone, but he’s attempted all of 155 passes in the NFL. He’s a scratch off ticket. Murray is still the best quarterback option available.
at least they watch film and do the work. The Cardinals tracked his laptop usage, it was reported as “sad”. he may be the most talented of all these scrubs, but not the best option.
Well that guy you’re convinced is a total bust who does no work has played more good football over the last few years despite some not very good support systems. People get hyped about Daniel Jones every time he sniffs statistical performance that’s like Murray’s career *average*. I’m much more confident Murray’s a top 30 quarterback in football than any of the other guys and think he has more upside too. Holding a candle for Jimmy G in the year 2026 is just funny.
I am not “holding a candle for Jimmy G” just because I would rather have him than Murray, it’s like choosing between Cheese Fly Larvae and Fermented Baltic Sea Herring. you have your opinion and I have mine.
You said Murray “brings absolutely NOTHING to a new team” and then said you’d rather have Jimmy G. lol
its not the flex you think it is.
Murray has durability issues, inconsistent performance along with leadership and commitment questions.
Jimmy G has durability issues, that’s it. he plays consistent when healthy, and zero commitment or leadership issues.
not to mention Murray fades late in the season, reached the playoffs once (and got smoked, 2 picks 0 TD), advance metrics showed a decline in 2025, 23rd QBR (47.2) his mobility is shot. Former coaches and scouts have described him as “not a person people follow,” another former coach characterized signing for a developing team as a “disaster” a shotgun-heavy, “backyard-style” scrambler, which can be a poor fit for teams wanting to run traditional under-center, play-action offenses. I could go on and on. I am not a Jimmy G fanboy, I just looked at the FA QB list and picked a couple I would sign over Murray, that’s it. You can keep towing the line for Murray though, you do you.
Last time Jimmy started multiple games he had more interceptions than touchdowns, and he took too many sacks when he wasn’t 36.
You jumped in on me when I said Kyler is the best available quarterback option other than Mendoza. I still haven’t seen one. Especially when you consider how cheaply Murray can be signed since Arizona will still be paying him. Geno Smith is probably the biggest competition I can think of.
shoulda played baseball
He has made a a LOT of money in the NFL; & still in his 20’s. 10 more years to bank.
Nah, he’s made way more money in football. For baseball, he would have spent probably 1-2 years in the minors making peanuts, followed by 3 years of pre-Arbitration making essentially league minimum, then four years of Arbitration before becoming a free agent.
Is it too late for baseball?
This dude reminds me of Anthony Rendon for the Angels in baseball. He acts like he wants to play but has no real passion for the game. Loves the attention and of course the $$$ but puts very little work into being great. If I was Zona, no matter the cost involved, I’d be thrilled.
Sportsball Mashup ignorant of the fact that the baseball player that was cited has been “medically retired” with endless injuries.
Rendon’s biggest injury is his lack of heart. Stole a paycheck for years and now that they’ve restructured his deal he’ll stay away.
Shoulda played baseball. Guaranteed money and can play for 20 years easy.
He would have earned 1/100th of what he has earned with football as a starting QB. Baseball is extremely difficult.
Not to mention the potential lockout come December.
Murray said his first love was baseball, only thing that stop him is he did not want to start out in the minors he figured his baseball talent was strong enough to go right into the Major Leagues. He did not want to take those eight- and ten-hour bus trips like they do in the minors. So, he decided on a career in the NFL where he could make his money real fast and not work as hard on being a QB. That is why the Cardinals put a study clause in his contract.
As a football and baseball player, you can go play football and if that doesn’t work out, you possibly can go play baseball because you can play in the minors. If you choose baseball and that doesn’t work out, you’re done. No minors in football unless you think the summer league is.
He’s already made so much more money than he likely ever would have in baseball. Look at Paul Skenes. Possibly the best pitcher in baseball and he’s made about $1.6 million total in two years and doesn’t become a free agent until 2030. Or Tarik Skubal. This is his 6th season in the league and he’s made about $15 million so far. Kyler Murray has already made $170 million.
i agree with your point, but it should be noted that Skenes received a $9.2m signing bonus to play baseball.
Thanks for the correction! Totally forgot about draft bonuses. Also, love the username.
Arky low-key one of the best all-time SS
Skenes received a $9.6 million dollar signing bonus, but your point stands. A highly drafted NFL QB is going to make tens of millions immediately, even if they flame out. It’s a much safer bet.
Thanks, forgot about the signing bonus.
It’s a long journey to make huge money is baseball. Top picks get a nice signing bonus but it can be years until you reach arbitration and a few years later until you hit FA. From there if you’re still good and healthy, the money can be enormous but many prospects never get there.
“Baseball has been very, very good for me!” Kyler Murray (SNL Sports show “Talking Baseball” Interviews and opinions by Chico Escuela -March 7 2026)
First Round Bust!!! You’d expect more than 7 years as the first overall pick… that’s why he’s a bust
He earned a second contract with them. That makes him a better pick than a huge percentage of first rounders, quarterback or otherwise. If you’re holding out for more than seven years, the hit rate gets pretty low.
Don’t defend a clown. That makes you a…
He not only cost them a first rounder it cost them many good coaches and the pinnacle of their RBs.
Many good coaches?
at least he was better then josh rosen .. that has to count for something
I’m sure X Box time, will play a big factor into his decision
Go pitch, you bum.
If Tomlin was still in Pittsburgh this would’ve had Steelers written all over it.