Once Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray landed on injured reserve this year having only played five games, two years after being limited to only eight games, Arizona decisionmakers were forced to broach the topic of reevaluating the future of the franchise. As the season progressed without Murray, all signs started pointing to his eventual departure from Arizona. The lack of robust trade interest in Murray led to the conclusion that the team would plan to release him to free agency. 
With his likely future set to begin later this week, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Murray “could choose to be methodical in picking his destination” once free agency opens up. There are multiple free agent and draft options available to teams looking to fill out their roster at quarterback, and at some point, those team’s roster spots will be filled. There’s certainly strategy in working to lock down a spot to make sure one has a guaranteed job and contract, but there’s strategy, too, in being reactive to the moves that get made in order to ensure that one has the most information possible on a potential decision.
There will likely be teams — and there have already been a few for Murray — who will make their interest known loudly, publicly. Once the opportunity to communicate opens up, those teams could come hard and fast to display just how interested they are in a prospect. They may offer a contract big enough to convince a player to abandon his plans to look around and test the market. Then, once they’ve locked the player into a contract, the situation that was promised to that player may end up getting altered. The general idea of this would be similar to what happened with the Falcons and Kirk Cousins. Though, that wasn’t a necessarily quick courtship, Cousins signed under the impression that he was the only guy at quarterback moving forward, then the Falcons went and spent a first-round pick to draft Michael Penix.
Murray could, instead, be more patient and reactive. Once officially released from his contract in Arizona, Murray can start taking visits. We’ve known Minnesota to be an interested party as they seek competition for starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy. It was reported as recently as yesterday that the Jets were also showing interest, and Fowler mentions the Colts and Falcons as possibilities, as well, due to their current statuses with injured passers who may not be ready to start the season.
By being patient, Murray can take the time to truly consider team fit and city fit, instead of letting dollars and cents be the main factor of the decision-making process. The money is important, too, though, and seeing what other veteran free agents are signing for could help Murray leverage a better free agent deal for himself instead of being the one who acts first and sets the market. He also has a bit of freedom in what kind of contracts he can ask for, given he’s still due to receive a good amount from guarantees in his contract from Arizona. He’ll be able to see which teams really want him and which just really need a body to fill the room. Perhaps he’ll be open to joining the Vikings, Colts, or Falcons, who have talented rosters but eventual competition at quarterback, or perhaps he’ll desire a job with a team that needs more work as long as it provides him a secure starting opportunity.
Free agency could go in a lot of different directions once it really opens up this week. It will be interesting to see how quickly Kyler moves in his first bout with free agency. He may subject himself to a bidding war and go with the highest bidder early, or he may be slower and more deliberate in his approach to finding a new home.
You know there’s a 99% chance that Kyler will be playing for $1.3m (or whatever the vet minimum is) next season,right? He has guaranteed money for 2026 so the Cardinals are paying him almost $40m next season. So, unless someone is paying him more than that, which is extremely unlikely, there is no point in his new team paying him $1.3m because he’s getting $40m regardless and it would help his new team out.
That’s why he can wait because he doesn’t need to worry about money drying up because teams can always find $1.3m to spend on a player if they need to. So, he’ll wait it out and make sure he goes to the place with the most to offer him outside of money, like playing time.
He is not going to wait and watch all of the positions get filled. He might not be the first announced tomorrow but chances are 90% or better he signs day one.
lol
he will sign by 2 pm tomorrow
Because Kyler’s contract is not expiring, and because he hasn’t been released yet (he won’t be released until March 11th so the Cardinals can designate him a post-June 1st release), he can’t talk to anyone until Wednesday. He certainly can’t sign with anyone tomorrow.
There’s so much tampering going on right now, I’d bet his agent has already been working the phones to see where he’d land.
Being patient AKA hoping rodgers retires so he can sign with Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is another team that just needs to bottom out (MN also) to get a shot at a top prospect. They won’t but they need to.
Teams don’t need to offer him anything more then the vet minimum……he best sign and get a team before he’s passed over….he’s not a hot commodity
Perhaps he could consult with Rodgers in regards to how he can better make this decision.
Murray is still in his prime. Even if Rodgers comes back the Steelers should pick him up as insurance and to see if he has potential as a viable starter.
You can’t judge players who get drafted by the Raiders, Cardinals, Browns and Jets until they play for a competent organization.
sit a year behind stafford.. learn the offense .. and be ready to compete for the starting job when he retires
Not sure why everyone thinks Murray is going to sign anywhere without the new team negotiating another long term contract.