Fallout From Vikings’ Kyler Murray Signing; Team To Re-Sign Carson Wentz?
The Vikings entered the offseason seeking competition for quarterback J.J. McCarthy, whose first year as a starter went awry. They found it in signing former Cardinals franchise signal-caller Kyler Murray to a one-year, prove-it deal last Wednesday.
Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort tried to find a trade partner for Murray before releasing him, but it was too difficult to pull off because of the two-time Pro Bowler’s bloated contract. Had Murray been on someone’s roster on March 15, $19.5MM of his 2027 salary would have vested. Nobody was willing to take that chance on Murray, who struggled during a limited 2025. He played just five games, none after Week 5, as a result of a Lisfranc injury.
Murray’s tenure in Arizona did not go as planned, though the 2019 No. 1 overall pick was open to staying there before the team released him. While Murray was “genuinely surprised” the Cardinals fired head coach Jonathan Gannon, he approved of the hiring of Mike LaFleur as his replacement, Albert Breer of SI.com writes. But it turns out Murray will not play for LaFleur, who will try to lead a franchise turnaround after Gannon mustered a disastrous 15-36 record in three years.
By the time the Cardinals officially cut Murray last Wednesday, he and agent Erik Burkhardt had already identified the Vikings as their ideal option, per Breer. Vikings executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski and head coach Kevin O’Connell quickly invited Murray and Burkhardt to Minnesota for a visit.
Murray was among a “handful” of experienced signal-callers the Vikings studied, according to Breer, but it appealed to both team and player that he could be more than a one-year solution. An inexpensive pact between the sides came together in short order, which prevented other clubs from meeting with Murray.
“O’Connell made sure he got first crack at him,” one GM told Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom.
Set to turn 29 in August, Murray is not the Vikings’ QB1 yet. He still has to beat out McCarthy, 23, for the role. Although the Vikings invested the 10th pick in the 2024 draft on McCarthy, multiple “high-level NFL offensive coaches” informed La Canfora that they expect Murray to win the job. If that happens, the O’Connell-led Vikings will hope for a Sam Darnold-like revival from Murray.
Darnold resurrected his career during his one season in Minnesota in 2024, but with the Vikings ready to turn the keys over to McCarthy, they let him walk in free agency a year ago. He went on to win a Super Bowl with the Seahawks in 2025, while the Vikings fell from 14-3 to 9-8 and missed the playoffs. McCarthy posted rough numbers over 10 starts and missed seven games with injuries to his ankle, head and hand.
While Murray and McCarthy will do battle this summer, they may have company in Minnesota’s QB derby. Carson Wentz, who spent 2025 with the Vikings, is among free agent possibilities. Even after the Vikings added Murray, there is “mutual interest” between the team and Wentz, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.
Wentz, a late-August signing last year, filled in for an injured McCarthy for five starts. The 33-year-old journeyman was the more productive of the pair, but he underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in late October. Wentz’s injury left McCarthy and overmatched rookie Max Brosmer as the Vikings’ starting QB choices for the rest of a disappointing campaign.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/13/26
Here are Friday’s minor NFL moves as free agency continues into the weekend:
Arizona Cardinals
- Re-signed: WR Simi Fehoko
Baltimore Ravens
- Re-signed: G Corey Bullock
Carolina Panthers
- Re-signed: LB Claudin Cherelus
Chicago Bears
- Re-signed: CB Jaylon Jones
Cleveland Browns
- Re-signed: CB D’Angelo Ross
Dallas Cowboys
- Re-signed: TE Princeton Fant
Denver Broncos
- Signed RFA tender: CB Ja’Quan McMillian
Houston Texans
- Waived: DT Kurt Hinish
Miami Dolphins
- Signed ERFA tender: CB Ethan Bonner
- Signed: P Seth Vernon
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: C Zeke Correll
New York Giants
- Signed: S Elijah Campbell
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Re-signed: TE Ko Kieft
After making the call not to tender him as a restricted free agent, the Panthers were able to come to an agreement to re-sign Cherelus. The undrafted linebacker has started six of 27 game appearances in his last two years with Carolina, logging 60 total tackles.
Unlike Cherelus, McMillian did get tendered in Denver. With 16 starts in 51 games appearances over four years with the Broncos, McMillian’s tender is worth $5.77MM for the 2026 season, per Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette.
The Texans signed Hinish to a one-year deal last year, but the Notre Dame product spent the season on the reserve/physically unable to perform list. Instead of holding on to him for the upcoming season, they’ve decided to cut him from the roster.
Vikings To Sign QB Kyler Murray
As expected, Kyler Murray is heading to Minnesota. The quarterback is inking a one-year deal with the Vikings, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
The 28-year-old Murray was always destined to make $36.8MM in 2026 by virtue of his release from the Cardinals, and the Vikings are indeed only paying their acquisition a minimum salary. Notably, the team did include a no-tag clause in Murray’s deal, meaning he’ll hit unrestricted free agency once again next year.
While one report stated Murray could exercise patience in finding a new home, he will head elsewhere just one day after the Cardinals made his long-awaited release official. The Vikings immediately became the frontrunners to sign Murray, the former No. 1 pick who fell out of favor in Arizona after seven seasons.
The Cardinals’ attempts to trade Murray proved futile, leading the team to cut him and take on $54.3MM in dead money. They will reportedly incur a $47.1MM dead cap charge in 2026 and a much more manageable $7.2MM hit in ’27.
A former Heisman Trophy winner at Oklahoma, the 5-foot-10, 207-pound Murray’s NFL career got off to an auspicious start. Murray took home Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2019 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 crushed them in the wild-card round. Thanks in part to injuries, Murray’s career has trended downward since the Cardinals awarded him a five-year, $230MM extension in July 2022.
A torn ACL in late 2022 cost Murray six games that year, and the recovery process held him out of the Cardinals’ first nine contests the next season. After Murray shook off the rust during his late-2023 return, he showed some encouraging signs in 2024. In the only 17-game season of his career, Murray 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, Murray amassed 572 yards on 7.3 per carry and chipped in another five TDs.
Murray was unable to build on the momentum in 2025, yet another injury-shortened season. A mid-foot sprain limited Murray to just five games. He did not take the field beyond Oct. 5.
Like Murray, injuries have been a problem for Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The 2024 first-round pick from Michigan missed his rookie season with a torn meniscus, leading veteran Sam Darnold to fill in for the entire year. Darnold revived his career during a 14-3 season, but the Vikings let him walk in free agency.
Darnold, now a reigning Super Bowl champion, signed a three-year, $100.5MM pact with the Seahawks. Daniel Jones, a former Giants starter, finished 2024 as Darnold’s backup in Minnesota. While the Vikings tried to re-sign Jones, he took the Colts’ offer instead because he saw a clearer path to playing time. Jones went on to enjoy a career resurgence in 2025, leading the Colts to re-sign him to a two-year, $88MM contract this week. The Vikings were interested in reuniting with Jones before the Colts placed the transition tag on the 28-year-old and then extended him.
Minnesota’s pursuit of veteran signal-callers came in response to a rough first year as a starter for McCarthy. Three different injuries – a high ankle sprain, a concussion and a hairline fracture in his right hand – held McCarthy to 10 games. The 9-8 Vikings managed six wins in McCarthy’s 10 starts, but he threw more interceptions (12) than touchdowns (11). McCarthy also completed just 57.6% of passes while ranking near the bottom in the league in traditional passer rating (72.6) and QBR (35.7).
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, the general manager who drafted McCarthy, lost his job in January. Before his ouster, he and head coach Kevin O’Connell made it known they would at least seek veteran competition for McCarthy this offseason. The offensive-minded O’Connell now has it in Murray, who will aim to follow in Darnold’s footsteps in Minnesota. If Murray beats out McCarthy and reestablishes himself as a legitimate starter in 2026, he could position himself for another lucrative deal a year from now.
Ben Levine contributed to this post.
Cardinals Release Kyler Murray; Vikings Frontrunners To Add QB
11:25pm: Following news that the Vikings are the favorite for Murray, the team will indeed be hosting the QB on a visit tomorrow, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
3:08pm: The 2026 league year has started — precisely one minute ago. The Cardinals did not waste any time; the team announced its Kyler Murray release.
This concludes a seven-year chapter, one that ended as most expected it to. The Cardinals now have Gardner Minshew on the roster, accompanying Jacoby Brissett. This will be a post-June 1 cut, which will help Arizona cap-wise. Teams cannot announce post-June 1 cuts until this afternoon, explaining the delay on the long-expected Murray release.
With $36.8MM guaranteed to a quarterback coming off a five-game season and trending downward, the Cardinals were never viewed as having a realistic chance to reach their goal of trading Murray. Connected frequently to the Vikings, Murray may well be headed north as a free agent soon.
Minnesota is viewed as the favorite to land the former No. 1 overall pick, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report. This is not especially surprising, as Murray has been connected to Minnesota for months. A recent report suggested the 28-year-old passer is eyeing in the Vikings, who have been tied to interest here — as Murray will likely be available for the veteran minimum thanks to the nature of his Arizona exit.
The Cardinals, Jets (Geno Smith) and Dolphins (Malik Willis) have made starter-level quarterback additions, the Vikings have refrained. Murray looks likely to be Minnesota’s J.J. McCarthy competition, though the two-time Pro Bowler is a more talented player and would be favored to start in 2026. The Vikes are walking a tightrope here, as our Adam La Rose discussed in his most recent mailbag. They are still tethered to McCarthy’s development while understandably wanting a potentially better option after concerning 2025 play from the top-10 pick. Murray will be looking to bounce back after a lost 2025.
Minnesota used the No. 10 overall pick on McCarthy but lost him to a season-nullifying injury last year. A high ankle sprain shelved McCarthy for a chunk of the season last year, and given the Michigan alum’s early-season struggles, rumblings the Vikings were giving him time to reset emerged. When McCarthy replaced Carson Wentz around midseason, he was wildly inconsistent. The team saw 2024 starter Sam Darnold pilot the Seahawks to a Super Bowl win, and GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has since been fired. Quarterback issues undoubtedly played a key role in the four-year GM’s ouster.
Murray played under Drew Petzing, an ex-Kevin Stefanski assistant. Stefanski’s past under Gary Kubiak ties Kevin O’Connell — a Sean McVay disciple — to the same sturdy Mike Shanahan coaching tree. This would stand to make a Murray-Minnesota transition easier, but the diminutive QB’s best work came under Kliff Kingsbury earlier in his career.
O’Connell rehabilitated Darnold’s career in 2024, overseeing a Pro Bowl nod after coaxing quality play from Kirk Cousins before his October 2023 Achilles tear. Murray, who booked original-ballot Pro Bowl invites in 2020 and ’21, has displayed quality work as a passer and runner but has been inconsistent. He was not playing especially well before a December 2022 ACL tear, which came after he signed a five-year, $230.5MM Cardinals extension. The Cards held off on redeploying Murray until midway through the 2023 season, and while Murray ranked ninth in QBR in 2024 — a 17-game season — more injury trouble intervened as the QB was struggling yet again.
Averaging just 6.0 yards per attempt through five games under Petzing in 2025, Murray went down with a foot injury and never returned. The Cardinals looked ready to move Murray back into the starting lineup later in the season, but an about-face led to a shutdown.
The Cardinals’ previous regime had authorized the five-year extension, and the deal brought an advanced guarantee for 2026. Murray remaining on Arizona’s roster by mid-March of 2025 guaranteed his ’26 salary, leading to this post-June 1 designation.
The Cardinals will take a $47.1MM dead money hit in 2026 as a result of the Murray release, though OverTheCap lists the signal-caller’s 2027 dead cap number at $7.2MM. Should that split hold true, Arizona’s new coaching staff will feel some pain this season before seeing considerable relief in Year 2. The Cardinals do not have an inspiring QB setup presently, with Minshew and Brissett bridge types (at best). But they are getting out of the big-ticket QB-contract business after nearly four years.
Atlanta already took advantage of a post-June 1 designation by scooping up Tua Tagovailoa on what is expected to be a veteran-minimum deal. Murray is expected to be available, as Wilson was in 2024 with Pittsburgh, for the vet minimum. That could bring value for the Vikings, though the former Heisman winner is expected to be patient before committing, as this bounce-back opportunity will help determine if his career has a positive second act.
Vikings Re-Sign DB Tavierre Thomas
Tavierre Thomas is returning to Minnesota. The special teamer is signing a new two-year deal with the Vikings, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The veteran initially joined the organization on a one-year deal last offseason. The Vikings are committing to him for at least another two seasons, with Schefter noting that Thomas will earn a total of $4.6MM on the new deal.
Thomas primarily played on special teams during his first season with the Vikings. He ended up getting into all 17 games with his new squad, collecting 23 tackles.
The 30-year-old played a similar role with the Buccaneers in 2024, but he was a key part of the Texans secondary between 2021 and 2023. He started 19 of his 36 appearances over that span, collecting 178 tackles, five forced fumbles, and six passes defended. He also tallied a pair of interceptions during the 2021 campaign, including a pick-six.
Thomas can expect a similiar special teams role in 2026. The team added James Pierre to their secondary, but they could clear up some depth by not re-signing Fabian Moreau and Jeff Okudah.
Eagles Discussing Trade, Extension For Vikings OLB Jonathan Greenard
Jonathan Greenard remains one of the top edge rushers who could be on the move soon. To little surprise, the Vikings Pro Bowler is still on the radar of the Eagles.
Philadelphia continues to make trade calls on Greenard, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports. Crucially, she adds conversations are ongoing with Greenard’s agent about a potential extension. Minnesota is open to a trade in this case with a raise being sought out.
The Eagles pursued Trey Hendrickson and Maxx Crosby but came up short on both high-profile edge rushers. Greenard’s push for a new contract, after a 2025 season that was not as good as his 2024 slate, emerged recently. But it sounds like the Eagles are open to accommodating the former Texans draftee here.
Philly tried multiple in-season fixes last year, bringing Brandon Graham out of retirement and trading for Jaelan Phillips. This came after Za’Darius Smith‘s in-season retirement. Philly, which also saw Nolan Smith spend time on IR in 2025, was viewed as close to re-signing Phillips. But the Panthers came in with a four-year, $120MM deal. It would surprise if Greenard fetches that, especially with the Eagles not deeming Phillips worth that price. But a lower-cost alternative looks to be available — and GM Howie Roseman is an aggressive trader.
Prior to the Greenard talks heating up, Russini reported the Eagles were eyeing EDGE help. The team still rosters Smith but has not quite seen him justify his first-round cost. Jalyx Hunt led the Eagles with 6.5 sacks, but the first-year starter registered a promising 24 QB hits. Philly lost auxiliary rushers Josh Uche and Azeez Ojulari today in free agency.
Greenard, 29 in May, became an attractive free agency piece in 2024 after a 12.5-sack season in his Houston contract year. The former third-round pick followed that up with a 12-sack Minnesota debut; both Greenard and teammate Andrew Van Ginkel earned original-ballot Pro Bowl acclaim that year, as the Vikings went 14-3. Greenard only notched three sacks in 12 games last season, however, making this contract crusade curious.
He is tied to a four-year, $76MM deal. That contract runs through the 2027 season, but the Vikings have been seeking a Day 2 pick to move on. (The Eagles traded a third-rounder for Phillips and, after letting Milton Williams and Josh Sweat walk in 2025, received four compensatory picks — one of them a third-rounder — in this year’s draft.) Minnesota has Van Ginkel and 2024 first-round pick Dallas Turner rostered at the position. As it stands, Turner is blocked from a starting role thanks to the veterans’ presences. But Turner broke through for eight sacks and 15 QB hits in 2025, providing Minnesota optimism in the event it can collect a notable asset for Greenard.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Vikings Release S Harrison Smith
With the new league year beginning today, the Vikings are making a number of financial moves. One of them will be a post-June 1 release of safety Harrison Smith, ESPN’s Kevin Seifert reports. 
Smith’s contract was set to void on Friday, so a decision on this front needed to be made in short order. As Seifert notes, this is not a guarantee Smith will be retiring. Minnesota remains open to retaining the franchise icon on a new deal provided he elects to continue playing.
The Smith release has now taken place, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. He confirms, to little surprise, team and player remain in communication with one another at this point. Attention will now turn to the matter of Smith’s intentions. Retirement received consideration last offseason before a one-year pact was agreed to.
Minnesota will see $1.3MM in cap savings with this move. Meanwhile, a dead money charge of $3MM can be spread out across the next two years. That figure is separate from the cost of any potential Smith contract if he chooses to play a 15th season. If not, the Vikings will have a notable vacancy to fill in more respects than one.
Smith has collected six Pro Bowl nods during his decorated career. He is currently fifth in franchise history for games played. A move into third would be possible in the event a new deal is worked out. Losing Smith, 37, to retirement would mark a second straight notable departure for the Vikings (after Camryn Bynum departed in free agency in 2025). Smith handled a snap share of 85% this past season.
The Vikings have already confirmed their defensive line will look much different with the releases of Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen. New faces in the secondary can also be expected for 2026, especially if Smith does not return.
Vikings Release DLs Javon Hargrave, Jonathan Allen
Both the veteran defensive linemen the Vikings gave eight-figure-per-year contracts to in 2025 are now out. After releasing Jonathan Allen, Minnesota is now cutting Javon Hargrave.
Dangled in trades recently, Hargrave (via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter) has been informed he will be released. The move will save the Vikings more than $10MM in cap space while bringing nearly the same amount in dead money. The rumored Allen release is now official as well.
The dead cap amount stems from signing bonus proration and a $4MM guarantee on Hargrave’s 2026 salary. Minnesota gave the former Steelers, Eagles and 49ers D-lineman a two-year, $30MM contract in 2025. This is quite the overhaul for the Vikings’ D-line over the past year. After free agency in 2025, they rostered Hargrave, Allen and Harrison Phillips. With Phillips traded to the Jets last August, all three are now gone.
Minnesota has not made a move to add a D-linemen, but it can be assumed some are in the works. Hargrave, 33, started 15 games last season; Allen, 31, started 17. Hargrave bounced back after an injury-shortened 2024 in San Francisco, but this is the second straight year he has been released. The 49ers designated Hargrave as a post-June 1 cut last year; it is not known if the Vikings are making the same move.
A standard Allen release would bring more than $17MM in dead money, and NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero indicates a post-June 1 designation will indeed be used. This designation saves $11.2MM this year while moving more than $12MM in dead cap on to the Vikings’ payroll. Minnesota is designating Harrison Smith as a post-June release (for procedural purposes); teams are only allotted two each year.
This also marks Allen’s second straight year being released. The Commanders cut their former first-round D-tackle after eight seasons, and he generated a promising market as a street free agent. The Vikings gave him a three-year, $51MM deal that came with $23.26MM fully guaranteed. That contract has come back to bite the team, one that fired GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah weeks into the offseason. Allen was to see $8MM of his $16.75MM 2026 salary guaranteed. As Adam La Rose’s Vikings Offseason Outlook reminded, Allen’s $23.87MM was the highest figure on Minnesota’s cap sheet.
Allen, 31, and Hargrave each registered 3.5 sacks last season. Both players recovered from 2024 injuries on time; Allen fared better as a pressure artist, recording 11 QB hits to Hargrave’s six. Both players being cut in back-to-back years stands to significantly reduce their earning potential in 2026.
Vikings, RB Aaron Jones Agree On Rework
Aaron Jones will not be a Vikings cap casualty, after all. The sides agreed on a reworked deal that positions the veteran running back to play a third season in Minnesota, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport report.
The adjustment will lower Jones’ 2026 base salary to $5.6MM. Of that total, $5MM will be guaranteed (per ESPN’s Adam Schefter). Jones delivered a 1,000-yard rushing season in his Vikings debut, leading to a 2025 re-signing (two years, $20MM). But injury trouble intervened in 2025.
Ceding time to trade acquisition Jordan Mason last season, Jones rushed for just 547 yards — his fewest since his 2017 rookie season — and missed five games because of a hamstring injury suffered in Week 2. The Vikings dangled Jones in trade talks and were prepared to move on via release if no swap came to fruition, but barely an hour before the NFL’s cap-compliance deadline, the team found a way to retain the aging back.
Jones, 31, initially came to the Twin Cities after declining a Packers pay cut. The former fifth-round pick had already accepted a trim in 2023, but a bigger cut proved too much for the productive veteran to accept. Jones landed with the Vikes on a one-year, $7MM deal and totaled 1,546 scrimmage yards — the second-most of his career — and seven touchdowns in 2024. The seven-year Packer played a central role in the Vikings’ 14-3 season with Sam Darnold at the helm, and the team circled back on a deal that provided $11.5MM guaranteed at signing.
Jones was to earn a $9MM base salary this season; if the Vikings were to cut him, they would have saved nearly $8MM in cap space but taken on nearly $7MM in dead money. Kevin O’Connell‘s team looks set to move forward with a second season with the Mason-Jones RB tandem. The ex-49er infiltrated Jones’ backfield stranglehold, leading the Vikings with 758 rushing yards. Mason averaged 4.8 yards per carry to Jones’ 4.2.
Previously tied to a four-year, $48MM Packers deal agreed to just before the 2021 free agency period, Jones has done well to extend his career. He has four 1,000-yard rushing seasons on his resume. Mason, who backed up fellow 2017 RB draftee Christian McCaffrey in San Francisco, is signed for one more season. His two-year, $10.5MM contract calls for a $4.73MM base salary in 2026.
QB Kyler Murray Could Be Patient In Free Agency
MARCH 10: Murray has yet to formally be released, nor have the Cardinals publicly confirmed they will do so at this point. That should change tomorrow, but it remains to be seen how quickly Murray will act upon becoming a free agent. In any event, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network confirms (video link) the Vikings remain the “favorite” with respect to Murray’s destination at this point.
MARCH 8: 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.