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Arizona Cardinals News & Rumors

Cardinals HC Jonathan Gannon On Kyler Murray: ‘Nothing’s Changed’

November 4th, 2025 at 12:42pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Cardinals are not planning to keep Jacoby Brissett at quarterback after Kyler Murray returns from injury.

Murray has missed Arizona’s last three games with a foot injury. The offense has looked better with Brissett under center, averaging five more points per game in his starts compared to Murray’s. Brissett has three straight games with at least 260 passing yards and two touchdowns; Murray has none.

That has led to questions about the Cardinals sticking with Brissett after Murray comes back, but head coach Jonathan Gannon shut such talk down on Monday night.

“Nothing’s changed on that,” Gannon said (via ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss) when asked about making a change at quarterback.

However, the Cardinals have not found much success under Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort since they were hired together in 2023. They did not draft Murray or sign him to his current contract extension, and could be looking to find a different long-term quarterback that meshes better with their vision for the team.

It would still seem to be unwise for the Cardinals to bench Murray this year. Such a move could be an alarming sign to other teams and drop his trade value in the offseason, and he has enough guaranteed money remaining on his deal to make an outright release uncomfortable for Arizona’s salary cap.

It is also fair to wonder if Murray has been put in the best position to succeed. His results were much better with Kliff Kingsbury calling the offense rather than current OC Tommy Rees, and the Cardinals have not consistently had a strong offensive line since drafting Murray. The Cardinals seem to be approaching a major decision point regarding Murray’s future, but they seem unlikely to bench him before making that call.

Cardinals Activate DL Walter Nolen, CB Garrett Williams

November 3rd, 2025 at 3:35pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Cardinals will have a pair of defenders available in time for tonight’s game. Most notably, Walter Nolen is positioned to make his NFL debut against the Cowboys.

The first-round rookie has been activated, per a team announcement. Nolen was shifted to the reserve/PUP list during roster cutdowns while continuing to recover from a calf injury. The Cardinals opened his practice window on October 15, though, which began the 21-day period for him to be activated.

To no surprise, Nolen has been brought into the fold in time to play tonight. The Texas A&M and Ole Miss product stood out as one of the top prospects in a loaded 2025 defensive tackle class. Expectations are high in his case as a result, although given his missed time a long-running acclimation period can be expected. Nevertheless, any contributions early on will be key for the Cardinals’ defensive front.

Arizona will also have an important figure available in the secondary beginning in Week 9. Cornerback Garrett Williams has been activated from injured reserve. The 24-year-old retuned to practice less than one week ago, and he has clearly not encountered any setbacks. Williams totaled 17 starts across his first two seasons in Arizona, and he was a first-team presence for each of his two appearances in 2025 before being sidelined with a knee injury.

Having him back will be critical against a high-powered Cowboys offense. Beyond that, Williams will be expected to reprise his role as a starter as the Cardinals look to end their streak of close defeats and remain in contention for the postseason. The team ranks just 24th against the pass this season, but having the Syracuse product back in the fold could bring about needed improvements. This move leaves Arizona with five IR activations available.

Nolen has plenty of time to develop as he plays out his rookie contract. Williams, on the other hand, will be eligible for an extension as early as this coming offseason. A strong run from this point on would help the latter’s chances of landing a new deal or at least cementing his status as an impact player for 2026. Both defenders could prove to be notable contributors for years to come if all goes according to plan.

With the Cardinals still thin in the backfield, Michael Carter is the team’s only gameday elevation for tonight. He has bounced on and off the roster while also seeing time on the practice squad, and he will look to chip in on offense during his fifth appearance of the campaign.

Cardinals Not Interested In Selling Before Trade Deadline

November 2nd, 2025 at 9:47pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Despite a 2-5 start to the season, the Cardinals are not interested in selling players before Tuesday’s trade deadline, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio.

Arizona is currently in last place in the NFC West with their three divisional rivals all sitting at five wins or better. With a 1% chance of making the postseason, according to The Athletic, the Cardinals could be seen as sellers, but the team seems to be more confident internally. Their five losses have come by a combined 13 points, with no margin of defeat bigger than four points; their two wins, meanwhile, were by five points or more.

Kyler Murray has also been dealing with a foot injury that sidelined him for the Cardinals’ last two games, both losses. He is not expected to play on Monday against the Cowboys, either. However, the star quarterback’s return and some better results in close games could fuel a second-half playoff run.

A loss to the Cowboys on Monday night would drop Arizona to 2-6 and all but end their postseason hopes. That could change their mind about not selling players, but it is unclear who would even be available. They do not have many players on expiring contracts; the only two notable names that could be of interest to other teams are defensive tackle Calais Campbell and safety Jalen Thompson.

Campbell, who is still playing excellent football in his age-39 season, is the type of player that is coveted by playoff contenders this time of year. However, the 18-year veteran recently indicated that he does not want to leave Arizona after reuniting with the team that drafted him this offeseason.

“I came here, I want to be here. And I want this team to go out there and make a run,” Campbell said last week (via Theo Mackie of the Arizona Republic).

Thompson, meanwhile, has played every defensive snap for the Cardinals this season. That does not seem like the type of player a team would trade away midseason, even if they were motivated to sell.

As a result, the Cardinals seem inclined to hold onto their talent instead of flipping players for draft picks. Even if their early-season losses are too much to overcome, they have virtually all of their roster under contract in 2026 and therefore would not want to jettison talent who could play a role next year.

Cardinals To Start QB Jacoby Brissett In Week 9

November 1st, 2025 at 1:42pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

After he missed back-to-back games with a foot injury, it appeared that Cardinals starting quarterback Kyler Murray would return Monday in Dallas. That will not be the case, however, as head coach Jonathan Gannon announced on Saturday that Jacoby Brissett will start in Week 9. (via ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss).

Murray suffered a version of a Lisfranc injury in a Week 5 loss to the Titans. A Week 8 bye was not enough for the former No. 1 pick to get back to game-readiness, so his veteran backup will get the nod for the third game in a row.

“He’s just not ready to go yet,” Gannon said of Murray, clarifying that his absence is purely health-related.

Gannon also indicated that Murray could still have a “role” on Monday, but that seems to be as more of an emergency option, according to team reporter Darren Urban. Kedon Slovis is the only other QB on the Cardinals’ roster.

A stint on injured reserve is not under consideration at the moment, meaning Murray may be ready for a Week 10 meeting with the NFC West rival Seahawks. Though the Cardinals have lost both of their games without Murray, they went 2-3 in his starts and Brissett has outpaced him statistically.

Murray has completed 68.3% of attempts with six touchdowns against three interceptions this year, but his 6.0 YPA and 88.6 passer rating have underwhelmed. The dual threat has added 173 yards (6.0 YPC) and another touchdown on the ground. Brissett, meanwhile, helped the Cardinals put up fights against high-level opponents in the Colts and Packers over the previous couple of weeks. He combined to go 52-for-80 (65%) for 599 yards, four touchdowns, and a pick, also chipping in 47 rushing yards on 10 attempts.

So far, the Cardinals have gotten plenty of bang from their buck from Brissett since signing him to a two-year, $12.5MM contract in free agency last offseason. The journeyman will have a chance to impress again while facing a Dallas team that ranks 31st in pass defense and and points per game allowed. The Brissett-led Cardinals will look to take advantage of that and snap a five-game losing streak. Remarkably, all of their defeats have come by four or fewer points.

Connor Byrne contributed to this post.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/30/25

October 30th, 2025 at 7:16pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

  • Signed: WR Jalen Brooks, TE Messiah Swinson
  • Released: CB Jaden Davis

Cincinnati Bengals

Seattle Seahawks

A day after adding Velus Jones and releasing Myles Gaskin, the Seahawks have reversed course. Gaskin had more than 600 rushing yards with the Dolphins back in 2021, but he’s been limited to 26 rushing yards in seven total games since that season. Jones got into five games with the Saints earlier this year, with the majority of his snaps coming on special teams.

Kyler Murray Expected Back In Week 9

October 30th, 2025 at 2:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

After two games with Jacoby Brissett under center, the Cardinals are moving toward Kyler Murray‘s return. Mentioned before their bye Murray was likely to return in Week 9, Jonathan Gannon confirmed this is the plan.

The third-year Cardinals HC said (via ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss) the team is preparing for Murray to return to the lineup Monday night against the Cowboys. Murray has been battling a foot injury that, somewhat concerningly, was connected to a Lisfranc issue.

Being back after sitting two games represents a win for Murray given the Lisfranc mention; those injuries are certainly known to linger. The two-time Pro Bowler also has run into injuries regularly throughout his pro career. While Murray did miss three games in 2021 and was down for a bit during the 2022 season in which he suffered an ACL tear, this year marked the starter’s first set of absences since his mid-2023 return from that knee injury.

Brissett did well to keep the Cards in games against upper-crust opponents. Although the Cardinals lost to the Colts and Packers, both were narrow defeats. That may not be much consolation to Cardinals fans, as the team is riding a five-game run of one-score defeats. Brissett, however, accounted himself well in backup duty once again. The 10th-year veteran has also now made starts for seven NFL franchises, with his Arizona work following first-string summons in New England, Indianapolis, Miami, Cleveland, Washington and New England.

Working with Drew Petzing for the second time (after the current Cards OC was the Browns’ QBs coach in 2022), Brissett completed just more than 64% of his passes at 7.4 yards per throw. Murray carries a 68% completion rate but is only at 6.0 Y/A through six games. The dual-threat talent has not showcased the form he did during his Pro Bowl years (2020, 2021) since being placed in Petzing’s offense, and the Cardinals are 13-17 with Murray starting under Gannon.

Murray’s 2022 extension has already triggered a sizable 2026 guarantee; by remaining on Arizona’s roster this past March, Murray secured $32.84MM guaranteed of his $42.84MM 2026 compensation. If the Cardinals were to arrange a trade, Murray would count less than $18MM on their 2026 cap sheet. For now, Petzing and Co. will work on getting Murray on the same page with Trey McBride and Marvin Harrison Jr. The Cardinals will also be eligible to activate running back Trey Benson from IR beginning in Week 10, but Monday looms as a crucial contest considering the stretch of close losses defining Gannon’s third season.

Prior to Gannon announcing Murray is due back in Week 9, the Cardinals worked out three QBs — Kyle Trask, Logan Woodside and Jeff Driskel, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. Arizona has Kedon Slovis stationed as its QB3 on the active roster; no passer resides on the team’s practice squad.

A former second-round pick, Trask played two seasons as a Buccaneers third-stringer behind Tom Brady and Blaine Gabbert; he then lost a competition with Baker Mayfield in 2023. The Bucs re-signed Trask to a one-year, $2.79MM deal this offseason but released him in August. Trask has not landed anywhere since. Driskel’s career included an Arizona stopover, with the journeyman spending most of the 2023 season with the team.

Cardinals Opening Practice Windows For Garrett Williams, BJ Ojulari

October 28th, 2025 at 2:48pm CST by Connor Byrne

The Cardinals’ defense could welcome a pair of reinforcements in the coming weeks. Head coach Jonathan Gannon announced that the Cardinals opened cornerback Garrett Williams‘ 21-day practice window on Tuesday. Gannon added that the team will open outside linebacker BJ Ojulari‘s practice window on Thursday.

Now 2-5 after suffering five straight one-score losses, the Cardinals are coming off their bye and will face the Cowboys on Monday. While it’s unclear if Williams will be ready for that game, it would be ideal to have him back against a high-flying Cowboys attack.

Williams, who played both slot and outside corner early this season, was in on almost every Cardinals defensive snap before going on IR with a knee injury after Week 2. The Cardinals began 2-0 with Williams in the fold. The third-year man broke out last season with 58 tackles, nine passes defensed, and two interceptions over 16 games (11 starts). Pro Football Focus ranked Williams as the third-best corner in the NFL in 2024.

In Williams’ absence this season, the Cardinals have used safeties Jalen Thompson and Dadrion Taylor-Demerson in nickel situations. Second-round rookie Will Johnson has received increased playing time on the outside. The Cardinals’ defense has fared respectably without Williams. The unit ranks seventh in passer rating against and 13th in points per game allowed, and it should get even stronger once Williams rejoins the fray.

Arizona hasn’t gotten anything from Ojulari since 2023, his rookie season. The former second-rounder from LSU appeared in all 17 games in his first year and picked up 40 tackles and four sacks. He tore his ACL during the ensuing summer and hasn’t played since. Ojulari, who opened this season on the reserve/PUP list, will give the Cardinals extra pass-rushing depth at OLB behind Josh Sweat and Baron Browning if he’s healthy enough to return in the next three weeks. Sweat and Browning have combined for seven of the Cardinals’ 12 sacks.

Arizona also made a few minor moves on Tuesday, per Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. After the Cardinals released running back Michael Carter and cornerback Darren Hall on Monday, they re-signed the pair to their practice squad. At the same time, they released two receivers – Bryson Green and D’Ernest Johnson – and tight end Nick Muse from the P-squad.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/27/25

October 27th, 2025 at 7:17pm CST by Connor Byrne

Here are Monday’s minor moves from around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Cleveland Browns

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Minnesota Vikings

  • Claimed off waivers (from Packers): TE Ben Sims

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

With James Conner done for the year after suffering a season-ending ankle injury in Week 3 and Trey Benson on IR with a knee malady since Oct. 1, Carter leads the Cardinals with 35 carries. He has rushed for an inefficient 97 yards (2.8 per attempt), though, and could only muster 11 on seven carries in a Week 7 loss to the Packers.

The Cardinals, who will come off their bye in Week 9 to face the Cowboys, are now down to two RBs in Emari Demercado and Zonovan Knight. They also have D’Ernest Johnson and Jermar Jefferson on their practice squad. Benson will be eligible to return in Week 10.

Cardinals Plan To Start Jacoby Brissett In Week 7; Team Aiming For Post-Bye Kyler Murray Return

October 18th, 2025 at 9:35pm CST by Adam La Rose

Kyler Murray missed the Cardinals’ Week 6 game while dealing with a mid-foot sprain. The injury is not completely healed, so Arizona’s starting quarterback is set to remain sidelined.

The Cardinals plan to start Jacoby Brissett once again on Sunday, as first reported by Ian Rapoport, Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. The 10th-year veteran made his first start for Arizona last Sunday, completing 27 of 44 passes for 320 yards. Brissett threw a pair of touchdown passes while adding one interception in the Cardinals’ most recent close defeat.

After winning by one score in Weeks 1 and 2, Arizona has dropped four straight games by a combined margin of nine points. Remaining shorthanded on offense will of course be an unwanted development for tomorrow, but Brissett’s showing against the Colts suggests he will be able to keep the team competitive on Sunday versus the Packers. As for Murray, a return could be in store for the Cardinals’ next contest.

The two-time Pro Bowler is expected to suit up after Arizona’s Week 8 bye, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. That would set Murray up for a game against the Cowboys once the Cardinals resume their schedule. Waiting until after the bye would give him additional time to heal and help reduce the chances of his ankle being aggravated. Things could of course change regarding that timeline, but given today’s update a move to injured reserve should certainly not be expected.

Brissett inked a two-year, $12.5MM pact in free agency this spring to take over QB2 duties. The 32-year-old has made 54 starts in his career, and that figure is now set to increase. Meanwhile, Murray’s progress in recovery will be worth watching closely through the Cardinals’ bye.

Most of Murray’s guaranteed money for next season has already been locked in, and he is under contract through 2028. A cautious approach will be understandable on the team’s part, and it will be interesting to see if he is back to full strength by Week 9. In the meantime, Brissett will be tasked with guiding the offense for at least one more week.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/18/25

October 18th, 2025 at 7:57pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor moves and practice squad elevations as we head to the seventh Sunday of the regular season:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Chicago Bears

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

As injured reserve activations start to dominate the headlines, a couple teams are making minor additions off their injured lists. In Homer, the Bears are getting a veteran special teamer and some running back depth. Monk adds depth to Green Bay’s offensive line. And Weston will do the same for a linebacking corps in New York that has seen rookie fifth-round pick Francisco Mauigoa starting in place of an injured Quincy Williams.

Ford in Chicago, Sewell in New Orleans, and Jacobs in Tennessee are all being called up as standard gameday practice squad elevations for the third time this year. In order to appear in any more games after this weekend, their respective teams will need to sign them to the 53-man roster.

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