Vikings Considering Kyler Murray, Geno Smith; Team Interested In Tua Tagovailoa?
We have been hearing for some time that the Vikings plan to add competition for quarterback J.J. McCarthy this offseason. During a recent appearance on the Scoop City podcast, Dianna Russini of The Athletic threw cold water on the notion that a Minnesota-Kirk Cousins reunion could be in the cards, though she did acknowledge that the Vikes could look to add to their QB room (video link).
Russini reiterated Minnesota still wants to develop McCarthy in the hopes that he can live up to his first-round draft status, and ESPN’s Dan Graziano likewise confirms the Vikings are not ready to give up on the Michigan product. Still, the club seems to want to make McCarthy earn the starting job in 2026, and in addition to Cousins, names like Kyler Murray and Anthony Richardson have been floated as possibilities.
There may be mutual interest between the Vikings and Richardson, who would be acquired via trade with the Colts. As ESPN’s Kevin Seifert noted last month, a trade could be the most likely way for Minnesota to add McCarthy competition, because a free agent with options may not want to sign without assurances that they will be given first crack at the QB1 role. Other trade possibilities, per Graziano, include the Eagles’ Tanner McKee and the Texans’ Davis Mills.
Mills was linked to the Vikings in a November report, just like Murray was. Graziano says signs continue to point to a Murray release, which means he will be a free agent in short order (and therefore may not want to hitch his wagon to a team that still has high hopes for its incumbent starter).
Just as Arizona is likely to cut Murray, the Dolphins are expected to release Tua Tagovailoa in the near future, with Graziano confirming the cut will likely be made with a post-June 1 designation. With respect to their possible free agent targets, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (in the same Graziano piece linked above) reports the Vikings have Murray and the Raiders’ Geno Smith in their first tier of preferred options, with Cousins and Tagovailoa in the second tier.
Smith, though, may not make it to the open market. As our Nikhil Mehta recently suggested, it may behoove the Raiders to retain Smith as a mentor for Fernando Mendoza, whom Las Vegas is all but certain to select with the top pick in this year’s draft. Per Graziano, coaches from multiple QB-needy outfits are anxious to see if the Raiders will release Smith, as they believe the 35-year-old was held back by the Silver-and-Black’s offensive system in 2025. The Raiders may feel the same and could therefore keep Smith in the fold.
If they do choose to part ways, Fowler believes the Vikings make plenty of sense as a landing spot. He adds that many quarterbacks view Minnesota as an attractive destination, likely due to the presence of head coach Kevin O’Connell and wide receiver Justin Jefferson (though again, it is possible that McCarthy and Minnesota’s hopes for him could act as something of a deterrent).
It still seems fair to expect the Vikings to add a QB. Whether they can lure a high-profile player like Murray or Tagovailoa or will need to execute a trade for a passer like Mills or McKee is the question.
Jets, Falcons Showing Interest In Cardinals QB Jacoby Brissett
The Cardinals remain one of the teams to watch closely with respect to the quarterback market taking shape. Much of the attention in that regard is focused on Kyler Murray, who could wind up with any number of teams in the near future. 
Arizona also has to weigh the possibility of moving on from Jacoby Brissett as well, though. With a new coaching staff in place led by Mike LaFleur, widespread changes under center would come as no surprise. One year remains on Brissett’s contract, and he is owed a base salary of only $4.88MM for 2026.
[RELATED: Cardinals Interested In Jimmy Garoppolo]
Taking on that figure will be feasible for plenty of teams, and a pair of suitors in particular will be worth monitoring. Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reports the Jets and Falcons have shown interest in Brissett. That comes as no surprise, of course. New York hired Frank Reich – who previously coached Brissett during their time with the Colts – as offensive coordinator this year. Atlanta, meanwhile, brought in Kevin Stefanski as head coach; he previously worked with Brissett in Cleveland.
For that reason, both the Jets and Falcons have previously been floated as logical landing spots for Brissett. Justin Fields is not expected to be back with New York in 2026, while Tyrod Taylor is a pending free agent. Brissett could serve as a bridge starter as the Jets seek out a long-term answer in April’s draft (or perhaps wait until 2027 to select a high-profile rookie).
As expected, the Falcons will release Kirk Cousins and not attempt to re-sign him at a reduced rate. Starter Michael Penix Jr.‘s ACL recovery is ongoing, and his availability for Week 1 of the 2026 campaign is unclear. That illustrates the need for a short-term addition in Atlanta’s case. Brissett could offer the Falcons with a high floor for at least one season regardless of Penix’s health situation or his level of play once he is back to 100%.
Filling in for an injured Murray – and then remaining atop the depth chart to finish the season – Brissett posted career highs in a number of categories in 2025. The 33-year-old completed just under 65% of his attempts, totaling 3,366 yards and posting a 23:8 touchdown to interception ratio. A similar showing in New York or Atlanta would be welcomed given those teams’ current situations under center. Volin unsurprisingly notes the Cardinals will have a much easier time trading Brissett than Murray, and it will be interesting to see if more suitors emerge shortly.
Cardinals Eyeing QB Jimmy Garoppolo
As we’ve discussed free agent quarterbacks and which teams could target which free agents, we’ve separated things a bit into tiers. Essentially, the thought has been that teams who can afford to go big for a free agent passer will be pursuing Packers quarterback Malik Willis, while those who aren’t looking to spend that much may be looking for a more affordable option like veterans Joe Flacco, Marcus Mariota, or Jimmy Garoppolo. 
Initially, we pegged Arizona as a team willing to spend and tied them to a likely run for Willis, while a team like the Dolphins, with limited cap space, would be pursuing a veteran like Garoppolo. According to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe, though, a closer look at the setup in Arizona reveals some connections between the Cardinals and Garoppolo, and he reports that they have their eyes on the 34-year-old as a possible free agent addition.
General manager Monti Ossenfort was director of college scouting in New England when the Patriots drafted Garoppolo out of Eastern Illinois in the second round 12 years ago. Additionally, new head coach Mike LaFleur coached Garoppolo over the past two years in his previous role as the offensive coordinator of the Rams. These connections clearly show familiarity with the veteran passer, giving the Cardinals an easy option outside of the expected top-tier targets on the market.
That’s not to say the Cardinals won’t still pursue Willis. Arizona could pursue and successfully sign Willis and still choose to bring Garoppolo in as a dependable backup. Having watched the veteran back up reigning MVP quarterback Matthew Stafford over the past couple of years, no one has a better idea of his abilities as a QB2 than LaFleur. It could also alter Arizona’s pursuit of Willis, though. Knowing Garoppolo is a connected option, the Cardinals may stop themselves from overspending on Willis if they know they can still fall back to Garoppolo and rely on him.
As the new league year fast approaches, we’ll certainly start to see free agent communications pick up soon. It will be interesting to see if the Cardinals go after Garoppolo because of his connections with team leadership, and if they do, it will be interesting to see how it affects their pursuit of Willis.
2026 NFL Offseason Outlook Series
Pro Football Rumors is breaking down how all 32 teams’ offseason blueprints are shaping up. Going forward, the Offseason Outlook series is exclusive to Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers, and that link provides details on how to sign up for an annual membership.
Here are PFR’s 2026 rundowns of the 32 teams’ offseason blueprints:
AFC East
AFC North
AFC South
AFC West
NFC East
NFC North
NFC South
NFC West
Former NFL G Justin Pugh Named Italian Football League Commissioner
For the past several years, efforts to expand the international influence of the NFL have grown with the league’s International Series of games. What began in 2007 as an annual trip across the pond has multiplied with games taking place in Mexico starting in 2016, Germany starting in 2022, Brazil starting in 2024, and Spain and Ireland last year. 2026 will see the introduction of France and Australia to the International Series. 
There are other ways to expand the influence of the NFL across the world, though, and according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, former Giants and Cardinals offensive guard Justin Pugh will undertake new efforts in the aim of the expansion of the game. Pugh has reportedly accepted a role as commissioner of the Italian Football League.
Established in 1980, the IFL has completed 44 seasons of American football. In that time, the league has seen 12 different Italian Bowl champions, though just six teams account for 32 of the league’s championships. The league even held Italian Bowl XLII in 2023 at Toledo’s campus stadium, marking the IFL’s first game held outside Europe.
The league has seen its struggles to survive as blueblood franchises frequently defect for competing leagues around the country. In his written statement as the league’s new commissioner, Pugh pledged to accelerate the evolution of the sport across Europe by modernizing the league’s infrastructure, strengthening its governance, and elevating its standards. He asserts that his years of competition in the NFL will help him transform the IFL into a structured, credible, and forward-looking institution “capable of connecting Italian Football to the broader international ecosystem of the game.”
Packers Surprised By Rich Bisaccia Exit, Interviewed Sam Sewell For STC
FEBRUARY 26: Sewell will conduct an in-person interview today, Demovsky reports. Green Bay’s other follow-ups are expected to take place shortly, so a hire should be made soon.
FEBRUARY 25: Rich Bisaccia‘s abrupt resignation as the Packers’ special teams coordinator was a shocking move, not just around the NFL, but in Green Bay.
“I wouldn’t say we were expecting it at all. It caught us by surprise,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said at the Combine this week (via Channel 3000’s Jason Wilde). He acknowledge that Bisaccia’s departure was “a big loss” and noted that the veteran coach may pursue “some otther opportunities.”
Bisaccia’s mid-February exit took place long after several other potential replacements were off the market. Among them was Byron Storer, who worked as an assistant special teams coach under Bisaccia in Green Bay for the last four years and Las Vegas for three seasons before that. He took the Browns’ special teams coordinator job under Todd Monken, rendering him unavailable to succeed Bisaccia in Green Bay.
Gutukunst casted the delayed hiring process in a positive light, noting that he would not need to compete with any other teams for his desired coach. The Packers have already interviewed three candidates – Cameron Achord, Tom McMahon, and Kyle Wilber – with Cardinals special teams coach Sam Sewell as the fourth, per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky.
Sewell has spent the last three years in Arizona with previous experience as Eastern Michigan’s running backs coach (2019-2022) and special teams coordinator (2022). The Cardinals’ special teams general ranked in the middle of the pack in 2025, though kicker Chad Ryland‘s field goal conversion rate dropped from 87.5% in 2024 to 75.8% in 2025. The team rotated through three different punters and still finished eighth as a team in yards per punt. They also averaged 11.4 yards per punt return, the 11th-highest mark in the league.
The Packers will look to swiftly fill their last major coaching vacancy as the team turns its attention to free agency and the draft in the coming months.
Cardinals ‘Frustrated’ With Kyler Murray
The Cardinals will explore trades for Kyler Murray this week, but the quarterback’s camp is hoping the team releases him, Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports reports. That would be a best-case scenario for the 28-year-old Murray, who would have the ability to pick his next team in free agency.
Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort reportedly has not engaged with Murray since the end of last season. But Murray’s camp will meet with the Cardinals at this week’s Combine in Indianapolis, according to Vacchiano. It does not appear a decision on Murray’s future will be made in Indianapolis, per Vacchiano, but it’s hard to imagine him lasting much longer in Arizona.
Thanks to the five-year, $230.5MM extension former GM Steve Keim gave Murray in 2022, $19.5MM of his 2027 base salary will vest on March 15. A trade or release should occur by then. That’s especially true with the Cardinals having grown “frustrated” with Murray, Vacchiano writes.
Questions regarding the former No. 1 overall pick’s work ethic and leadership continue to hang over him seven years into his career. To make matters worse, the Cardinals are concerned that Murray will never fully bounce back from the torn ACL he suffered in December 2022. Murray’s dual-threat capabilities have been a major part of his appeal, but a source told Vacchiano that his mobility is “shot.” If true, it could put the kibosh on Murray ever turning back into an effective starter.
Arizona’s 2022 season had already gone off the rails before Murray’s knee injury, but he wasn’t far removed from earning original-ballot Pro Bowls nods from 2020-21. The Cardinals clinched their most recent playoff berth in Murray’s second Pro Bowl season. The Rams crushed them in the wild-card round, though, and neither he nor the Cardinals have come back from it.
Arizona lost 13 of Murray’s 19 starts from 2022-23, both 4-13 seasons for the team. There were at least signs of life in 2024. That year, Murray’s lone 17-game season, the 5-foot-10 signal-caller 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, he racked up 572 yards on a hearty 7.3 per carry and added five more TDs. The Cardinals went 8-9 with a plus-21 point differential.
Whatever progress the Cardinals thought they had made two seasons ago was erased during a three-win 2025. Murray, who missed 12 games with a Lisfranc injury, didn’t play past Week 5. The Cardinals went on to fire head coach Jonathan Gannon after the season. His replacement, Mike LaFleur, is unlikely to coach Murray in Arizona.
If Murray gets his wish and the Cardinals release him before March 15, they would take on a $54.72MM dead money charge and lose over $2MM in cap space in 2026. That would not be a good outcome for the team, but ripping the Band-Aid off then would be better than designating Murray a post-June 1 cut. In that scenario, the Cardinals would spread $77.25MM in dead money over two years (including $70.05MM in 2026) while losing $17.39MM in space next season.
Latest On Cardinals, QB Kyler Murray
11:40am: The Cardinals will explore trade options for Murray at the Combine this week, per OutKick’s Armando Salguero, who offers the Jets as a potential destination. With a weak quarterback draft class behind projected No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza, a 29-year-old with three years left of a reasonable-priced contract could draw some interest on the trade market.
9:33am: This year’s round of Combine GM interviews generated an early refrain. This this week represents the GM-speak Super Bowl, and nothing seems to be off the table. Monti Ossenfort joined fellow GMs using this phrase by indicating the Cardinals are keeping their options open with Kyler Murray.
A subsequent report, however, brought an unexpected development. Ossenfort responded in the affirmative to a question about having talked to Murray after his injury-shortened 2025 season. But a source informed ESPN.com’s Josh Weinfuss no communication has taken place between GM and player yet this offseason.
Ossenfort indeed indicated “all options are on the table” at quarterback. No dialogue between Ossenfort and Murray through late February certainly points to the Cardinals moving toward a separation. Previous reports have pegged Arizona as hoping to move on via trade, but assumptions of a release have taken hold thus far.
Murray, 28, missed 12 games last season but has made 87 starts at QB for the Cards; only Jim Hart and Neil Lomax have topped that among passers in franchise history. Murray is Arizona’s longest-tenured QB1 since Lomax’s seven-plus-season run in the 1980s. While a January report did not close the door on the Cardinals running it back with Murray, a new chapter appears on tap.
It would behoove the Cardinals to get rid of Murray by March 15, the day $19.5MM of his 2027 base salary becomes guaranteed. Thanks to a player-friendly extension structure that brought early vesting dates, Murray is already guaranteed $36.8MM for next season. The Cardinals would surely have to pay down some of the eighth-year QB’s contract in a deal, but finding a taker would benefit their salary cap outlook.
Murray is owed nearly $23MM in base salary in 2026. The Cardinals convincing a team to take on part of that would create cap savings — even in a pre-June 1 swap. Were the Cardinals to cut Murray, they would almost definitely need to designate him as a post-June 1 release (when $54.7MM in dead money would be split over two offseasons). Like Russell Wilson in 2024 (or Tua Tagovailoa this year, in all likelihood), Murray would then be cut on Day 1 of the league year. That comes March 13, which would allow the Cardinals to avoid that $19.5MM 2027 guarantee.
The Ossenfort-Mike LaFleur tandem has kept matters close to the vest here, though a report connected the NFC West club to Malik Willis. The Cardinals will have the Dolphins, known Willis suitors after hiring ex-Packer staffers at GM and HC, outflanked in cap space for Willis — whose market appears promising but hazy due to his limited experience — but it is certainly premature to say the former Titans draftee-turned-Packer backup would be a better option than Murray.
While the Raiders are poised to draft Fernando Mendoza at No. 1, the Cardinals could circle back to one of the other options in this top-heavy class. But one season remains on Jacoby Brissett‘s contract, giving Arizona some options in the likely event Murray is done in the desert.
Cardinals Announce Full Staff For New HC Mike LaFleur
On Friday, the Cardinals announced the finalization of their full coaching staff under new head coach Mike LaFleur. While several new names joined the staff, a good number of coaches were retained from Jonathan Gannon‘s prior staff, perhaps due to the late timing of LaFleur’s hiring. We’ve covered many of the coaching updates in previous posts already, but we’ll touch on the announcement’s new information here. 
We actually saw a number of hires break in the days leading up to the team’s announcement. For instance, Ian Rapoport reported on Wednesday that former Texas defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski would finally be making the jump to the NFL. A longtime collegiate staffer, Kwiatkowski began his coaching career at his alma mater, Boise State. Following a playing career as a defensive lineman, Kwiatkoski held multiple position coaching roles with the Broncos from 1988-96. He then spent time at Snow CC and Eastern Washington before getting his first DC offer at Montana State. He returned to Boise State as defensive line coach and, eventually, defensive coordinator before working DC jobs at Washington and Texas. His NFL debut will see him coaching defensive line for the Cardinals.
On Thursday, Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reported that Arizona had finalized the hiring of former Chiefs outside linebackers coach Rod Wilson. Wilson originally debuted in the NFL ranks of coaching as an assistant special teams coach with the Chiefs. After returning to the collegiate level to coach linebackers at South Carolina and Coastal Carolina for two years, Wilson made his way back to Kansas City as a defensive assistant, getting promoted to his most recent position two years ago. In Arizona, Wilson will be asked to shift back inside as the team’s inside linebackers coach. With that news, Zenitz also relayed that last year’s linebackers coach, Cristian Garcia, had been retained but moved to a different position group. Garcia will now serve the team as defensive backs coach.
Zenitz also reported two more minor staff updates before the team’s announcement, breaking that Brett Ekkens and Brent Jackson had been hired. Jackson, formerly a defensive quality control coach with the Colts, will hold the same position in Arizona. When Zenitz broke Ekkens’ hire, the role on staff for the former Tiffin University head coach had not been determined, but the team’s announcement discloses that he will serve opposite Jackson as an offensive quality control coach.
On the offensive side of the ball, the announcement concluded the building of the staff by announcing that Connor Senger has been retained in his role as pass game specialist. Senger had gained some interest from around the league this offseason for potential offensive coordinator openings but, ultimately, didn’t land any offers. With the announcement, it seems Senger will be running it back with the Cardinals, with whom he’ll try to continue to show his coordinator potential. The announcement also revealed the retention of offensive line coach Justin Frye. In addition to assistant OL coach Chris Cook, whose retention was already reported, Senger and Frye represent the only returning offensivee staffers from 2025.
On defense, the only new information was the retention of Matt Feeney as outside linebackers coach and the promotion of Alec Osborne from defensive quality control coach to assistant defensive line coach. They join Garcia (in his new position) as the only three returning staffers from 2025 on the defensive side of the ball alongside defensive coordinator Nick Rallis. The announcement also disclosed that assistant special teams coach Sam Sewell and director of football strategy Kenny Bell had been retained in the same roles. Lastly, formerly hired as a coaching assistant in 2022, Jay Razzano has been named assistant to the head coach.
With all coaching roles filled, the focus will turn to each coach evaluating the players in their position rooms as determinations will now move to the roster and what players the Cardinals will be moving forward with and building around. The fans in Arizona will hope to get more out of LaFleur and Co. than they’ve gotten out of their last three head coaches over the past eight seasons.
Cardinals Expected To Pursue QB Malik Willis; Latest On Dolphins’ QB Plans
In a year featuring a quarterback draft class that is perceived to be a weak one outside of presumptive No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza, soon-to-be free agent Malik Willis is becoming a hot commodity. We have already heard that the Browns, Dolphins, and Steelers could be involved in Willis’ market, and Tony Pauline of Essentially Sports hears the Cardinals will be in on Willis as well.
In fact, Pauline’s sources predict Willis ultimately will land in Arizona. The most recent reporting on the Cards’ incumbent QB1, Kyler Murray, indicated the club is undecided as to how it will proceed with the former No. 1 overall pick, who is already guaranteed $36.8MM in compensation for the upcoming season. That said, it would come as no surprise if the Cardinals move on, with a trade the preferred option but a release looking like the more realistic outcome.
Assuming Murray is done in the desert, as Pauline believes, the Cardinals will need to add to their QB room. While Jacoby Brissett played well in relief of Murray last season and could serve as a stopgap solution – he is under contract through 2026 – the 33-year-old journeyman does not profile as a long-term option.
Willis, who will turn 27 in May, could fit that description. The former third-round pick of the Titans has spent the past two years as a backup to Jordan Love in Green Bay, and though his playing time has been limited, he has flashed enough potential to generate notable interest. In his Packers tenure, which includes a 2-1 record as a starter, Willis has completed 70 of 89 passes (78.7%) for 972 yards and six touchdowns without throwing a pick. He has added 42 carries for 261 yards and three TDs.
Like the Cardinals, the Dolphins would prefer to trade their own former first-round signal-caller, Tua Tagovailoa, but are likely to be forced to release him. Pauline confirms that Tagovailoa is not expected to be back with the ‘Fins in 2026, and he says there is an “overwhelming belief” that Miami’s new head coach, Jeff Hafley, wants to bring Willis to South Beach.
Hafley spent the past two seasons as Green Bay’s defensive coordinator, and the Dolphins’ new GM, Jon-Eric Sullivan, was a Packers staffer for 22 years before Miami brought him aboard last month. Their connection to Willis is therefore understandable, though the club’s unenviable salary cap situation could make it difficult for them to compete for his services.
At present, the ‘Fins have just $3.18MM of cap room, and even after more cost-shedding moves, they may not be in a position to win a bidding war. That could point them to a cheaper option like Jimmy Garoppolo.
In that scenario, Garoppolo would not necessarily be handed the QB1 mantle. After all, Bobby Slowik, who was recently promoted from passing game coordinator to offensive coordinator, is said to be a “big fan” of 2025 seventh-rounder Quinn Ewers.
Ewers held his own over the final three games of the ‘25 campaign, his first taste of regular season action in the pros. Pauline’s sources believe the Texas product deserves a chance at a longer audition, particularly since he was seen as a Day 2 prospect who surprisingly fell to the seventh round. If the Dolphins cannot land Willis, Pauline hears the team plans to give Ewers a chance to start while bringing in an inexpensive veteran like Garoppolo to function as the backup.