Cardinals View QB Jacoby Brissett As Starter; Contract Talks ‘Ongoing’
The Cardinals added veteran quarterback Gardner Minshew in free agency and drafted Carson Beck in the third round, but neither is expected to start Week 1. New head coach Mike LaFleur considers Jacoby Brissett the Cardinals’ No. 1 signal-caller, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN reports.
Brissett has been “made aware” that the Cardinals view him as their starter, according to Weinfuss. LaFleur said discussions between the team and Brissett, who is seeking a more lucrative contract, are “ongoing” (via team reporter Dani Sureck).
The Cardinals will have to get Brissett in the building before he can lead their quarterbacks room. The 33-year-old journeyman has stayed away from voluntary workouts in his quest for a raise. As of now, Brissett is entering the second season of the two-year, $12.5MM deal he signed as a free agent in March 2025. He has just $1.5MM in guarantees remaining, whereas Minshew has at least $5.14MM coming his way this year. Minshew is the Cardinals’ QB2 as of now, per Weinfuss, leaving Beck third on the depth chart as the former Georgia Bulldog and Miami Hurricane begins his NFL career.
Brissett, a former Patriot, Colt, Dolphin, Brown and Commander, originally joined the Cardinals to serve as a backup. However, thanks to Kyler Murray‘s season-ending foot injury, Brissett wound up making 12 starts. It was the fourth season of double-digit starts for the 10-year veteran, who completed 64.9% of passes, threw for 3,366 yards and tossed 23 touchdowns against eight interceptions. Brissett posted a respectable traditional passer rating of 94.1, which tied Chargers star Justin Herbert for 15th in the league, but his 41.2 QBR ranked a lackluster 24th among 28 qualifiers.
The Cardinals managed just one win with Brissett at the helm. They went 3-14 overall and secured the third pick, which they used to draft running back Jeremiyah Love. He should make life easier on Brissett, who also has an elite tight end, Trey McBride, and a strong wide receiver tandem of Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson in place.
The Cardinals will expect better from an offense that ranked 19th in yards and 23rd in scoring in 2025, but it is up in the air whether Brissett will last the entire year as their starter. If the team falls out of contention, it would not be a surprise to see LaFleur turn to Beck. Arizona spent a valuable pick (No. 65) on Beck, who will already turn 25 during his rookie year.
QB Jacoby Brissett Likely Trade Candidate With Carson Beck In Arizona?
After going 1-11 in 12 starts for the Cardinals in 2025, quarterback Jacoby Brissett has been staying away from team activities as he attempts to land a starter-level extension. According to NFL insider Jason La Canfora, though, Brissett will more likely end up being a trade candidate.
With Brissett in line for his second Cardinals season and a backup passer with starting experience in Gardner Minshew, many thought Arizona would spend the first year of new head coach Mike LaFleur tanking its way to as high a draft pick as possible in 2027 in an attempt to land the best of a better crop of quarterbacks than what was available this year. It was presumed that the Cardinals would utilize this year’s draft to bring in a number of strong supporting pieces to prop up their future rookie starter.
Instead, the team took an interestingly different route. When the Cards reportedly were unable to find an offer they deemed worthy of trading out of the No. 3 overall pick for, they opted to select RB1 Jeremiyah Love. They did get around to landing a plug-and-play starting guard at the top of the second round in Chase Bisontis, but with the first pick of the third round, the Cardinals shocked a number of analysts by drafting Miami quarterback Carson Beck, the third passer to come off the board in the 2026 draft class.
Though he heard his name called two rounds after first overall pick Fernando Mendoza, who beat him head-to-head in the College Football Playoff national championship game four months ago, Beck’s six years in college had some evaluators believing he was the most pro-ready passer in the class. Once Beck was wearing a red hat, an NFL general manager reportedly told La Canfora that Arizona would “move Brissett by the (trade) deadline.”
Even if Brissett isn’t traded away immediately, the theory seems clear. If this GM is correct, at some point, Beck would take over as the starter. As a third-round, pro-ready prospect with the top rookie running back and an improved offensive line, there’s a chance Beck could find success and show potential as the team’s future at the position. If such a hypothetical ends up being too far out of reach to become reality and Beck’s starting run leads them to a poor record and a high draft pick, then the Cardinals would be perfectly in line to draft a first-round quarterback in 2027.
Fueling that idea a bit further, recent whispers that veteran free agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers may be considering Arizona as a future home appear to be nothing more than rumors. ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss reached out to a source recently to gauge the reality of this possibility, and his source claimed it was “not at all” real. If Rodgers stays away and Brissett gets shipped out, Beck may end up starting as a rookie as the Cardinals make moves to find their QB for the future.
Cardinals’ Jacoby Brissett Seeking Starter-Level Extension
The Cardinals signed Gardner Minshew last month, adding a second bridge quarterback after signing Jacoby Brissett in 2025. Brissett worked as Arizona’s primary starter last season, with Kyler Murray shut down with a foot injury. Murray’s release clears the way for a Brissett-Minshew competition.
Monti Ossenfort declined to name a starter when asked this week, and the fourth-year GM cautioned (via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport) the team would “see how the room looks in August” when addressing the situation. Soon after, Brissett is staying away from Cardinals voluntary workouts for contract reasons. The veteran is seeking an extension that pays him as the Cards’ starter, Rapoport adds.
Arizona gave Brissett a two-year, $12.5MM deal in 2025. That contract reunited Brissett with then-Cardinals OC Drew Petzing, who coached the QB in Cleveland. Petzing is now the Lions’ OC, leaving after Jonathan Gannon‘s firing, though Ossenfort was onboard when the Cards added Brissett. Arizona was closely linked to reuniting new HC Mike LaFleur with Jimmy Garoppolo, but negotiations broke down. That led to Minshew signing a one-year, $5.75MM deal.
Minshew’s contract comes nearly fully guaranteed, while only $1.5MM in guarantees remain on Brissett’s pact. The latter wants an update, and Rapoport adds the Cardinals seem amenable to making some sort of adjustment.
Brissett, 33, started 12 games last season; the Cardinals went 1-11 in those contests during a 3-14 season. Brissett did have the offense in better form than Murray did during his brief 2025 work, throwing 23 touchdown passes compared to eight interceptions and completing 64.9% of his throws. Averaging 7.1 yards per attempt, Brissett ranked 24th in QBR. That was fifth-worst among qualified passers last season.
This is team No. 6 for Brissett, a Patriots draftee who later suited up for the Colts, Dolphins, Browns and Commanders. New England brought Brissett back as a bridge to Drake Maye in 2024. Brissett has not been tied to a contract worth more than $8MM per year since the Colts extended him in 2019. That deal brought a $20MM guarantee at signing, as Indianapolis needed Brissett to (again) assume the controls after Andrew Luck news changed the equation. Brissett started most of the 2017 season in Indianapolis — as Luck missed all of that campaign because of a shoulder injury — and took over again after the franchise QB’s shocking 2019 retirement. The Colts, however, signed Philip Rivers in 2020; that set Brissett on a nomadic course through the QB2 ranks.
The 2022 and ’25 seasons, though, did give Brissett extended starter looks. Prior to Murray’s injury, Deshaun Watson‘s 11-game suspension gave Brissett a lengthy run as the Browns’ starter. It will be interesting to see if the Cardinals accommodate the older of their two stopgap options, but increased buzz about Ty Simpson is emerging. After a report earlier today indicated an Arizona trade-up back into Round 1 — presumably from its No. 34 spot — is in play, NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah noted a Simpson-to-Arizona path “feels inevitable.”
It would seem either Brissett or Minshew would be a trade candidate if the Cardinals are the Simpson team. I’ve predicted Simpson to Arizona in recent PFR chats, as Ossenfort going four drafts without identifying his own signal-caller may be risky. The Cardinals are 15-36 in the GM’s three seasons on the job, and while the team waiting on a more promising 2027 QB crop may be appealing, its current GM may be on a hot seat after last year’s 3-14 stumble.
A one-year starter at Alabama, Simpson would seemingly be in need of some grooming. Would the Cardinals need both Brissett and Minshew in the event they draft the polarizing prospect? The Giants kept both Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston after drafting Jaxson Dart, so recent precedent does exist for the two-mentor approach. Brissett receiving a raise on an extension, however, would leave Minshew in a strange position weeks after signing with the team. Brissett’s status will be a storyline to monitor, and a Simpson investment could change the organization’s plans here.
Kyler Murray Eyeing Vikings; Jets Showing Interest
The Cardinals are moving on from Kyler Murray. A last-ditch trade effort is still taking place, but absent that, Arizona is prepared to release its longtime starter. Two usual suspects are on the radar here.
Vikings interest in Murray has come out at multiple points this offseason, but Sportsboom.com’s Jason La Canfora indicates the soon-to-be unattached quarterback would prefer a Minnesota deal. Though, the Jets will present a clearer path to a starting job.
New York has been connected to some lower-profile names, from Tanner McKee to Jarrett Stidham to Tyson Bagent; a recent report has now tied the team to a Frank Reich–Carson Wentz reunion. That would certainly be an uninspired path for the Jets, who would seemingly be prepared to chase a 2027 first-round QB if Wentz truly became the stopgap option. But La Canfora indicates the Jets appear to be the team “most desperate” for Murray.
Murray, 28, will be looking for a place to bounce back, and ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini views the quarterback as unlikely to share the Jets’ level of interest here. The Vikings have elevated a few veteran quarterbacks’ stocks — from Kirk Cousins to Sam Darnold to Daniel Jones — under Kevin O’Connell, but they are still developing J.J. McCarthy.
Adam La Rose’s most recent PFR mailbag addressed the line the Vikings are attempting to walk in trying to upgrade at QB while still having hopes for McCarthy, and Murray throwing himself into that mix would be interesting. Jones passed on this last year, choosing a Colts starter path despite the Vikings offering more money. Murray, however, is a different type of free agent. The Cardinals are on the hook for his 2026 salary, making fit the priority as opposed to an offer. This is similar to Russell Wilson‘s 2024 market, when he signed with the Steelers for the veteran minimum (as the Broncos paid the bulk of his tab).
New Jets OC Frank Reich is also believed to be high on Jacoby Brissett from their time together in Indianapolis, Cimini adds, and La Canfora notes the Cardinals have received trade offers on Brissett — whom last year’s staff appeared to prefer guiding the offense compared to Murray.
The Jets have been previously connected to Brissett, who is tied to a two-year, $12.5MM Cardinals deal. Reich coached Brissett from 2018-20 in Indy. Brissett looms as a Cardinals stopgap option, and GM Monti Ossenfort signed him last year. But with Malik Willis and Jimmy Garoppolo connections forming, will Arizona be too attached to its primary 2025 starter? La Canfora also ties Garoppolo to the Cards, which will make a Brissett trade — as several teams are looking for starters ahead of a thin QB draft — something to monitor.
With Murray needing to show he remains capable of above-average play, his upcoming choice will be critical. At 5-foot-10, the former No. 1 overall pick will not be a fit for every offense. He certainly ran into obstacles during the back half of his Cardinals career. If he is not traded, enough Minnesota smoke has emerged to indicate there will be some mutual interest here.
As for the Jets, they have also been doing some homework on Tua Tagovailoa. The longtime Dolphins starter also has his 2026 salary guaranteed; both he and Murray are likely to be vet-minimum options in bounce-back scenarios. As of now, though, Murray is believed to be driving more interest than Tagovailoa.
Jets Could Add 2 Veteran QBs; Carson Wentz At Top Of List
The Jets need a quarterback. More specifically, they need a young, long-term face of the franchise, the likes of which they have lacked since Joe Namath.
But the 2026 draft class only has one high-end quarterback prospect: Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, who is widely expected to be drafted by the Raiders with the first overall pick. A number of college passers decided to return to school for the 2026 season, leaving New York high and dry with the No. 2 selection.
The Jets would be best served by waiting until the quarterback-rich 2027 draft, in which the No. 1 pick will not be required to land an exciting young passer. In the meantime, though, they will need someone to pass the ball to Garrett Wilson, Mason Taylor, and Adonai Mitchell.
That ‘someone’ could very well be two players. The Jets could take a similar approach to their quarterback room as their stadium-mates did last year. The Giants signed both Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston in free agency – which did not stop them from trading up into the first-round to draft Jaxson Dart – with the intention of letting the starting competition play out without too much pressure on any one player.
Of the available free agents, new Jets offensive coordinator Frank Reich prefers a familiar face, per SNY’s Connor Hughes: Carson Wentz. The two worked together in Indianapolis in 2021 when Reich was the Colts’ head coach. He traded for Wentz despite his sharp regression in Philadelphia the year before, and the former No. 1 pick posted a resurgent season. The Colts moved on from Wentz the following offseason, though the split was driven more by the front office and ownership than by Reich and his coaching staff.
Geno Smith, who was released on Friday, is another option named by Hughes. So, too, is Jacoby Brissett, though he is still under contract with the Cardinals and they do not intend to move him. However, if Jimmy Garoppolo follows Mike LaFleur from Los Angeles to Arizona, Brissett could become available for the Jets.
The Jets have also been connected with veteran linebacker Alex Anzalone, but they are expected to have competition for his signature. They could then pivot to Micah McFadden, a 2022 fifth-rounder who started 35 games for the Giants in his first three NFL seasons but missed virtually all of 2025 due to a foot injury. The Jets have interest in McFadden, but so do the Giants, via both Hughes and ESPN’s Jordan Raanan. Depending on the state of his foot, the 26-year-old may need to consider a one-year, ‘prove-it’ deal, but interest from multiple teams could give him enough leverage for a better deal.
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 Will Look To Trade Kyler Murray
The possibility of the Cardinals retaining quarterback Kyler Murray for 2026 came up three weeks ago, but his future in the desert remains iffy at best. The team is “likely to move on” from the 28-year-old, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
Arizona is hoping to find a trade partner for Murray, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. He’ll “absolutely” be on the trade market, Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom hears.
The Cardinals haven’t changed their stance on Murray despite their recent head coaching change, one general manager told La Canfora.
“He’s still gone,” said the GM, who’s seeking a QB but doesn’t have interest in Murray.
Arizona fired the defensive-minded Jonathan Gannon and replaced him with Mike LaFleur, previously the Rams’ offensive coordinator. The Cardinals seem more likely to keep Jacoby Brissett after he started most of 2025 in place of an injured Murray.
“We hear they are going with (Jacoby) Brissett and want to get Kyler out of there,” a top personnel executive informed La Canfora.
It would behoove the Cardinals to get rid of Murray by March 15, the day $19.5 million of his 2027 base salary becomes guaranteed. He’s already guaranteed $36.8MM for next season. The Cardinals would surely have to pay down some of Murray’s contract in a deal, but finding a taker would benefit their salary cap outlook.
Trading Murray before June 1 would save the team $34.74MM and lead to a $17.92MM dead cap hit in 2026. A post-June 1 swap wouldn’t be as helpful, but the Cardinals would still free up $24.94MM while spreading $34.72MM in dead money over two years ($27.72MM in ’26, $7.2MM in ’27).
Releasing Murray would point to a far worse cap situation for Arizona. If done before March 15, the club would absorb a $54.72MM dead money charge and lose over $2MM in cap space in 2026. Cutting him between March 15 and June 1 would create an untenable $77.25MM in dead money and take away $24.59MM in cap room. The post-June 1 option wouldn’t be much better. The Cardinals would spread the $77.25MM over two years (including $70.05MM next season) while losing $17.39MM in space in 2026.
Although cutting Murray would be a worst-case scenario for the Cardinals, it would be a positive development for teams in need of a starting signal-caller. On a minimum salary, Murray would be an “incredibly attractive” option around the league, Rapoport says.
Now coming off his seventh NFL campaign, Murray’s stock has sharply declined since he signed a five-year, $230.5MM extension in July 2022. At that point, the former Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick wasn’t far removed from earning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2019. He went on to pick up Pro Bowl nods in each of the next two seasons.
In 2021, still Murray’s best season, the dual threat helped the Cardinals to 11 wins and a playoff berth. The Cardinals, who took a brutal 34-11 loss to the Rams in the wild-card round, haven’t returned to the playoffs or even finished above .500 in any season since. They’ve axed two head coaches (Gannon and Kliff Kingsbury, who had some success with Murray) during their four-year postseason drought.
Murray’s career began trending downward in 2022, the first season after he landed his mega-deal. He struggled over the first two-plus months before suffering a season-ending torn ACL in Week 14. Murray’s recovery kept him out until the following November, limiting him to eight games.
To his credit, Murray rebounded to a noticeable degree in 2024. During his lone 17-game season to date, he completed 68.8% of passes for 3,851 yards (7.1 per attempt), 21 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, a 93.5 passer rating and a personal-high 63.4 QBR. As a runner, he scampered for 572 yards on a robust 7.3 per carry and found the end zone five more times.
In the wake of Murray’s bounce-back season, the arrow was finally pointing up for him and the Cardinals 12 months ago. With improved play from a healthy Murray, the Cardinals went 8-9 and recorded a plus-21 point differential. It was an encouraging step forward for a club that combined for a grisly 8-26 mark and a minus-234 point differential from 2022-23.
Neither Murray nor the Cardinals were able to build on last year’s progress in 2025. They finished an awful 3-14, and Murray missed 12 games with a foot injury. Murray’s time in Arizona may now be on the verge of ending, but even he’s unsure how things will play out, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN reports.
In the seemingly improbable event Murray stays put (which ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler contends is still on the table), Brissett would emerge as a trade candidate, Fowler relays.
On a manageable $4.88 base salary in 2o26, Brissett could be of interest to several teams looking for either a stopgap starter or a capable backup. The Falcons and Jets are among the clubs that could pursue Brissett, per Fowler.
As Fowler points out, Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski and Jets offensive coordinator Frank Reich are familiar with Brissett. He played for Stefanski in Cleveland in 2022 and under Reich (then the Colts’ HC) from 2018-20.
Cardinals Could Retain QB Kyler Murray In 2026
A recent report suggested the Cardinals are likely to move on from quarterback Kyler Murray this offseason. As ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes, however, Arizona could retain Murray for at least one more year.
Now 29, Murray has not been able to recapture the form that led to consecutive original-ballot Pro Bowls in 2020 and 2021. That early success convinced the Cards to authorize a five-year, $230.5MM contract for the first overall pick of the 2019 draft, but the Murray/Kliff Kingsbury partnership veered off course soon after.
Murray did not play particularly well in 2022, and an ACL tear suffered in December of that year forced him to miss the last few games of the campaign as well as the first half of the 2023 slate. By that point, Kingsbury had been replaced by Jonathan Gannon (with Drew Petzing coming aboard as offensive coordinator), but Murray’s performance was no better than it had been the year prior.
The 2018 Heisman Trophy winner had something of a resurgence in 2024. He ranked ninth in the league in QBR, and the Cardinals finished with an 8-9 record that suggested a playoff berth could be within reach in 2025. That did not materialize, and Murray’s season came to a premature end due to a Week 5 foot injury.
His recent medical history and middling results over the past four seasons have put his future with the Cardinals in doubt. Although multiple NFL executives have opined that Murray is far better than any other player projected to be available in the free agent and trade markets this offseason, his contract situation – he is due $36.8MM in guarantees in 2026 – means Arizona likely would have to eat a considerable amount of salary to facilitate a trade (even then, it is unclear how much of a market would form).
Even a post-June 1 release would come with a dead money charge of nearly $50MM, and several sources have told Fowler that Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill may not want to pay both Murray and Gannon – who was fired on Black Monday – a great deal of money to work elsewhere next season. If Gannon lands a new defensive coordinator or head coach job to offset what he is still due from Arizona, that could change Bidwill’s thinking.
Still, whomever the Cardinals tap as their next head coach may need to be comfortable with the possibility that Murray will be on the roster next year. If that person is as bullish on Murray as some of the above-referenced executives, the signal-caller’s presence could even be a selling point. After all, the 2026 class of collegiate quarterbacks was dealt a major blow when Oregon’s Dante Moore announced he will not be turning pro this year, and with the Raiders seemingly likely to nab Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 choice, the Cardinals (No. 3 overall) may not be in position to upgrade the position via the draft.
The club also has Jacoby Brissett under contract at a palatable $4.88MM salary in 2026. The well-traveled signal-caller actually ran the offense more effectively than Murray in ‘25, and despite his 1-11 record, his surface-level stats (94.1 QB rating, 23 TDs, eight interceptions) are appealing. He was also mentioned as a possible trade candidate, though he could also remain as a bridge option for the Cardinals if they move on from Murray.
Naturally, the 33-year-old would like to remain a QB1. When asked if he wanted another shot as a starter, Brissett replied with a simple “hell yeah” (via ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss).
Cardinals May Have To Eat Salary To Create Trade Market For QB Kyler Murray; Jacoby Brissett Seen As Trade Candidate?
Speculation regarding quarterback Kyler Murray’s future with the Cardinals began to ramp up in early November, as the effects of the foot injury he suffered in Week 5 lingered longer than expected and afforded backup Jacoby Brissett the opportunity to show he could run the offense more productively. In the wake of head coach Jonathan Gannon’s recent announcement that Murray will not return to the field this season, the rumblings have grown even louder.
As longtime Cardinals beat reporter Josh Weinfuss notes, multiple sources told ESPN colleague Adam Schefter back in November that Arizona will likely part ways with Murray this offseason. One source even went so far as to say such a parting is imminent, and Gannon’s non-answer when asked if Murray would be the club’s QB1 in 2026 supports that notion.
Given the salary cap ramifications of a release versus a trade – even a post June-1 release would result in a dead money charge of $50.6MM in 2026, whereas a trade would create a maximum dead money hit of $17.9MM – a swap appears to be the more likely route. That is especially true since Murray still seems to have at least some trade value.
Several executives told Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports that Murray is far superior to any veteran passer expected to be on the free agent or trade markets this offseason. One AFC general manager was especially bullish, saying, “[w]hen you start comparing him to some of the other guys that might be available, [Murray’s] good is still on a totally different level.”
That GM believes the Cardinals could fetch a third-round pick for Murray, while other execs believed a fourth-round pick was the maximum return Arizona could expect, depending on how much of Murray’s salary the team is willing to eat. Broadly speaking, Robinson suggests the Cardinals will have to absorb some money in order to create a market. A decision will need to be made one way or another by the fifth day of the 2026 league year in March, at which point $19.5MM of Murray’s 2027 pay will become guaranteed.
Interestingly, Weinfuss indicates Brissett, who is under contract through 2027, has played well enough to merit a mid-round pick in a trade. Of course, the Cardinals are going to need a quarterback themselves, and their current draft position – if the season ended today, Arizona would have the No. 8 overall selection – puts them behind a number of other teams that could be looking for a QB (like the Raiders, Browns, Saints, and Jets). Considering the 2026 class of collegiate prospects has seen its stock fall this year, it would come as no surprise if the Cardinals elected to keep at least one of Brissett and Murray.
The Jets and Vikings have already been named as potential Murray suitors if the Cardinals put him on the market.
Cardinals Facing Decision On Kyler Murray’s Future?
Has Kyler Murray played his last snap in Arizona?
That question has spread across the NFL in the wake of the latest developments regarding the Cardinals’ star quarterback. If Murray were to become available in the offseason, he would immediately become one of the biggest names on the annual quarterback carousel.
To recap: the Cardinals won their first two games of the year with Murray under center, albeit against easier opponents. They then lost three straight to the 49ers, Seahawks, and Titans by a combined five points. Murray injured his foot against the Titans, but he only missed a few snaps before finishing the game. He missed the next two weeks with reports of a Lisfranc-related injury raising concern about a longer absence, and did not play in Week 9 despite hopes of a post-bye return.
In Murray’s absence, backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett led the Cardinals’ offense to three of their four highest points and yardage totals of the season, though only one of those games ended in victory. Brissett’s passer rating, yards per attempt, and touchdown-to-interception ratio all outpace his younger teammate, too.
That clearly stirred some discussions in Arizona. First, head coach Jonathan Gannon said earlier this week that “nothing’s changed” regarding Murray and the team’s quarterback situation, indicating that the former No. 1 overall pick would play once he was healthy. The next day, Gannon seemed to change his tune when he announced that Brissett would remain the starter, which was quickly explained Murray’s subsequent move to injured reserve.
It is unclear what happens next. Murray will be on IR until at least Week 14. He was diagnosed with “a mid-foot sprain in the area of a Lisfranc injury,” according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Nothing is broken or dislocated, but a partially torn ligament and the resulting swelling need more time to fully heal. Murray’s limited participation in practice for the last few weeks suggests that he could play if it was absolutely necessary, but the risk of re-injury has steered the Cardinals down the cautious path.
General manager Monti Ossenfort is expecting Murray to return this season, but whether or not he regains his starting job will be determined at a later date. The Cardinals’ performance in the meantime could be a major factor in that decision. Despite a 2-5 start, they refused to consider selling players at the trade deadline due to a minus-13 point differential that suggested they were better than their record. Monday night’s 10-point primetime win in Dallas supported that theory.
However, Murray’s absence features a tough slate of matchups for the Cardinals. Their next four opponents have a combined 23-11 record on the season, and they have already lost to two of those teams: the 49ers and the Seahawks. Arizona could be all but eliminated from the playoff picture by the time Murray is ready to play.
At that point, it may not make sense to put him back on the field. And if the Cardinals have stayed in the hunt, it would likely be due, at least in part, to Brissett. Perhaps he wins a few games and gets hurt, giving Murray a chance at a late-season charge, but some around the league believe he is done for the year, per CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.
Some even believe he might be done in Arizona. Remember, Ossenfort and Gannon did not draft Murray or sign him to his current contract extension. Given their regime’s poor results thus far, they could be looking to handpick a different quarterback to right the ship and secure their jobs for a few more years. That would mean moving on from Murray this offseason, though that’s not a simple proposition by any means.
Murray has $36.8MM of guaranteed money due in 2026, and his 2027 salary becomes guaranteed on March 22, creating a clear decision point for Murray’s future. If he is not in the Cards’ long-term plans, they will have to release or trade him by then.
Other teams may not want to attach themselves to those obligations, so a trade could require Arizona to eat some of Murray’s 2026 compensation. Those teams may still be cautious about his 2027 guarantees and instead may wait the Cardinals out in the hopes they release Murray. That would allow him to choose his next team, and he would only cost the veteran minimum with the Cardinals still responsible for his guaranteed money in 2026.
As for potential destinations for Murray, keep an eye on Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, per Jones. His unit has disappointed this season, but that is partially due to multiple injuries to star quarterback Jayden Daniels. Kingsbury said last year that he wanted to return to a head coaching job in the future, but he declined interest from multiple teams last offseason, due in part to his desire to stay with Daniels. However, a new job this offseason could offer the opportunity to reunite with Murray, which could be enough to get Kingsbury out of Washington.
The Cardinals signed Brissett on a two-year deal this offseason, which could set him up to be a bridge starter in 2026. A poor finish their year could position them to target a top prospect in the draft; that effort could be further aided by any draft capital received from a potential Murray trade.
This season has not gone to plan for the Cardinals. Now, they’ll have to come up with a new one for their future.