Kyler Murray

Largest 2025 Cap Hits: Offense

July 1st, 2025 at 10:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

Last offseason brought about a record-breaking jump in the salary cap. This year, the ceiling rose to $279.2MM, another notable spike. The market at a number of positions will benefit from the ongoing surge in spending power available to teams, with quarterbacks obviously the largest standout in that respect.

In 2024, a pair of signal-callers surpassed the $50MM mark in terms of cap charges for the season. That will not be the case this time around, but to little surprise quarterbacks once again lead the way in terms of representing the largest share of many teams’ financial commitments for 2025. Positions such as receiver and offensive tackle have also generally not reached the same peak in terms of cap commitments as last year.

Leading up to training camp, are the NFL’s top 25 cap charges for offensive players:

Dak Prescott, QB (Cowboys): $50.52MM
Matthew Stafford, QB (Rams): $47.47MM
Joe Burrow, QB (Bengals): $46MM
Lamar Jackson, QB (Ravens): $43.5MM
Kyler Murray, QB (Cardinals): $43.33MM
Kirk Cousins, QB (Falcons): $40MM
Geno Smith, QB (Raiders): $40MM
Tua Tagovailoa, QB (Dolphins): $39.18MM
Justin Herbert, QB (Chargers): $37.35MM
Josh Allen, QB (Bills): $36.34MM
Deshaun Watson, QB (Browns): $35.97MM
Jared Goff, QB (Lions): $32.6MM
Taylor Moton, RT (Panthers): $31.35MM
Jordan Love, QB (Packers): $29.69MM
Patrick Mahomes, QB (Chiefs): $28.06MM
Calvin Ridley, WR (Titans): $28MM
Tyreek Hill, WR (Dolphins): $27.7MM
Jawaan Taylor, RT (Chiefs): $27.39MM
Baker Mayfield, QB (Buccaneers): $26.48MM
Terry McLaurin, WR (Commanders): $25.5MM
Mike Evans, WR (Buccaneers): $25.36MM
D.J. Moore, WR (Bears): $24.9MM
Tee Higgins, WR (Bengals): $24.06MM
Ja’Marr Chase, WR (Bengals): $23.57MM
Trey Smith, RG (Chiefs): $23.4MM

Prescott’s last-minute 2024 Cowboys extension made him the first player in NFL history to carry an AAV of $60MM. That pact will have lasting impacts well beyond the coming campaign, as the team looks to also fit in the big-ticket extension CeeDee Lamb inked last summer and the one Micah Parsons is in position to sign at some point before Week 1.

Once again, Stafford and the Rams entered the spring with plenty of uncertainty. Retirement was a consideration quickly done away with in the case of the 37-year-old, but it remained to be seen if he would remain in Los Angeles. Trade offers came in from numerous suitors, and the chance existed for Stafford to land a more lucrative deal elsewhere. In the end, though, team and player reached agreement on another reworked pact. Stafford is now in line to receive $84MM over the next two years, including guaranteed money in 2026. A bit of continuity will thus be in place under center for the Rams.

2020 draft classmates Burrow, Tagovailoa and Herbert are understandable top-10 players on this list given their respective deals. All three are on the books for years to come as they look to unseat the Chiefs atop the AFC. Burrow spoke about restructuring his pact to create the cap space necessary for the Bengals to retain or extend each of their key in-house players this offseason. That has yet to take place, and it will be interesting to see if a reworking is explored while talks on the Trey Hendrickson front continue.

The Ravens have worked out a few extensions on offense already (Derrick Henry, Rashod Bateman) but Jackson looms as a candidate for a new deal. Three years remain on his pact, but starting in 2026 his cap charge is scheduled so spike well past its current figure. The two-time MVP has discussed a new arrangement this offseason, and a bump in guarantees and overall compensation similar to what the Bills did with Allen would come as no surprise.

Cousins’ figure stands out, of course, given the fact he is slated to operate as Atlanta’s backup this season. With no release coming and no trade imminent, the four-time Pro Bowler is set to stay in place behind Michael Penix Jr. Cousins has made progress in his rehab from shoulder and ankle injuries suffered prior to his benching midway through his debut Atlanta season. With $10MM already guaranteed for next year, it will be interesting to see if a trade market develops in the coming months in his case.

With the exception of Watson – whose second Achilles tear is set to sideline him for most or all of the coming campaign – the remaining quarterbacks on the list are positioned to serve as starters for their respective teams. Only Geno Smith will be suiting up for a new organization after he was traded from the Seahawks to the Raiders. That swap was followed up by a two-year, $75MM extension and allowed him to reunite with head coach Pete Carroll. A short-term upgrade under center will be key as Vegas looks to find stability on the sidelines and in the front office.

Moton’s cap figure was a talking point earlier this offseason, but the Panthers are content to avoid a fourth restructure in his case. The pending free agent hopes to finish his career in Carolina, but an extension would have helped ensure that while lowering his immediate cap charge. In the absence of such an agreement, it will be interesting to see if Moton, 30, can deliver another strong showing in 2025.

Ridley is perhaps a surprising figure to lead the way in terms of cap charges at the receiver spot. He will operate as a key member of the Titans’ offense, a unit whose success will of course depend in large part on the play of rookie Cam Ward. Ridley has two more years left on his deal beyond 2025, but with limited guarantees owed over that span his Tennessee future could be greatly impacted by who this season plays out.

The likes of Hill, Evans and Moore are not currently the subject of speculation regarding their future. McLaurin, however, was absent from much of the Commanders’ spring practices with little progress being made at the negotiating table. Plenty of work is still required at this point to avoid a potential free agent departure next spring. Coming off a career-high in touchdowns while thriving alongside Jayden Daniels, the two-time Pro Bowler is in line for a raise which will likely lower his cap hit this season.

Chase and Higgins inked their deals simultaneously, putting an end to questions regarding where the latter in particular would play on his second contract. Those two, together with Burrow, will serve as foundational players for years to come in Cincinnati. It will be interesting to see how long Chase (with an AAV of $40.25MM) remains the league’s top earner in that respect for non-quarterbacks.

Kansas City’s offensive line faces questions entering the season. Despite his big-ticket contract, Taylor is not a lock to remain a starter at this point. With no guaranteed left on the final year of his deal (2026), a parting of ways could be in store next spring if a backup gig ensues. Trey Smith, meanwhile, remains attached to the franchise tag although an extension is among the team’s remaining offseason priorities.

Chargers Owner Congratulated Cardinals Owner On Kyler Murray Extension

June 24th, 2025 at 9:10pm CST by Ben Levine

Earlier this offseason, we learned an independent arbitrator concluded that NFL owners (and the league office) did not collude in an effort to reduce contract guarantees, especially in regards to quarterback contracts. A recent investigation by Pablo Torre led to the release of a 61-page document that detailed the arbitrator’s findings. While the investigation was inspired by the fallout from Deshaun Watson‘s contract, anecdotes surrounding other notable QBs have started coming out in the laundry.

Following a peek behind the curtain surrounding Russell Wilson‘s past negotiations with the Broncos, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com has uncovered some notable correspondence following the Kyler Murray extension. Specifically, two owners may have hinted that Murray’s deal influenced Justin Herbert‘s eventual extension with the Chargers.

Four months after Watson inked his fully guaranteed extension, Murray signed a new deal with the Cardinals that guaranteed $160MM of the $230.5MM total. When word of this extension got leaked to the media, Chargers owner Dean Spanos texted Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill to congratulate him on the specific terms of the deal. Per Florio, Bidwell noted that his front office managed to limit “the fully guaranteed money and have some pretty good language,” with Spanos responding that the Murray contract would “[help] us for our QB next year.”

“I think many teams will be happy with it once they have a chance to review,” Bidwell responded. “Cleveland really screwed things up, but I was resolved to keep the guaranteed [money] relatively ‘low.’”

As Florio notes, this exchange would seem to contradict the findings of arbitrator Christopher Droney. The Cardinals and Chargers are intended to operate as competitors, leading Florio to question why the duo may be coordinating. Florio believes the smoking gun is Spanos admitting that the Murray contract will have an influence on Herbert’s eventual deal. On the flip side, Droney opines that a QB extension would naturally influence future deals, and the correspondence between the two owners doesn’t constitute any circumstantial evidence.

“These communications are more in line with ‘independent response to common stimuli, or mere interdependence unaided by an advance understanding among the parties,’ rather than participation in a collusive agreement,” Droney wrote (per Florio).

Herbert signed his extension almost exactly a year after Murray. The Chargers QB temporarily reset the QB market, and he got $218MM of his $262MM total guaranteed.

For what it’s worth, Droney did note that “the NFL Management Council, with the blessing of the Commissioner, encouraged the 32 NFL Clubs to reduce guarantees in veterans’ contracts” following the signing of Watson’s extension. While players likely have little recourse, there may be some eventual fallout following this recent investigation.

Cardinals’ Kyler Murray Addresses ACL Recovery; QB Aims To Run More In 2025

April 12th, 2025 at 9:16pm CST by Adam La Rose

A 2022 ACL tear ended Kyler Murray‘s campaign that season and delayed his return to the field until the midway point of the following season. 2024 thus marked an important checkpoint in his recovery as the Pro Bowl quarterback managed to play a full slate.

Mobility was an issue for part of last season, however. Murray revealed during an interview with PHNX Sports that he was “feeling something” with respect to his knee early in the 2024 campaign (video link). As a result, the former No. 1 pick did not run as much as he wanted to. Murray recorded 78 rushing attempts, well short of his career-high in that regard (133 attempts in 2020).

Notably, Murray added there are “conversations” taking place with the coaching staff about his rushing numbers increasing in 2025. The 27-year-old is of course one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks with respect to producing with his legs when fully healthy, having amassed over 3,000 yards and 31 touchdowns on the ground during his career. Improving on offense moving forward could include a heavier emphasis on Murray using his legs.

“I don’t want to get too scheme based, but I do feel like I have to run more next year,” the former Offensive Rookie of the Year said. “I’m open to running more next year, just because it’s such a weapon… I think for us, part of the emphasis going into next season is, conceptually, on time, I feel I’m one of the best in the league. I think where we get better is making things happen outside the pocket.”

The Cardinals were in contention to win the NFC West for much of last season, but a 2-5 run to close out the campaign left them outside of the playoff picture. The team’s overall record of 8-9 represented a notable step forward from the first year of the Jonathan Gannon-Monti Ossenfort regime, but further development on both sides of the ball will be needed to continue in that direction. Defensive help early in the draft is expected to be targeted, something which would leave Murray in place as a central figure in the passing and rushing attack moving forward.

The Oklahoma product has another four seasons left on his contract, and most of his scheduled 2026 compensation recently became locked in. Murray’s future in the organization is not in doubt, but the extent to which he operates as a rushing quarterback next season will be an interesting storyline for the Cardinals.

QB Tyler Huntley Works Out For Arizona

April 11th, 2025 at 9:04pm CST by Ely Allen

After getting a chance to play near his hometown in Miami last year, backup quarterback Tyler Huntley could get a chance to play near his alma mater in 2025. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Huntley worked out for the Cardinals today.

Originally an undrafted free agent out of Utah, Huntley signed with the Ravens to open his NFL career. Huntley served the next four seasons as the team’s backup to Lamar Jackson. After not seeing much action in his rookie season, Huntley closed out the 2021 and 2022 seasons as a starter for Baltimore as Jackson ended each year injured.

In those two years, Huntley appeared in 13 games, making eight starts. He completed just under two thirds of his pass attempts for five touchdowns and seven interceptions over that time, but his rushing abilities allowed him to continue running a similar style of offense as Jackson. He added 331 rushing yards for three touchdowns over those two years, though he also had seven fumbles. His second stint filling in for Jackson earned him Pro Bowl honors, thanks to in large part to the fan vote and injuries to other candidates.

He signed with the Browns in 2024 and made the 53-man roster, but after Cleveland was unable to muster up any trade interest for Huntley, he was released and signed back with the Ravens‘ practice squad. His 2024 season took a turn when the Dolphins signed him off Baltimore’s taxi squad due to a concussion to starter Tua Tagovailoa. After three starts, Huntley was placed on injured reserve, though he did return to start the final two games of Miami’s season.

In Arizona, Huntley would have some tough competition for the backup job behind Kyler Murray. The Cardinals already roster Jacoby Brissett and Clayton Tune as backups. While Brissett has far more experience than Huntley, Huntley more closely matches Murray’s playing style and could make for a more seamless transition in the case of an injury.

Kyler Murray Locks In 2026 Guarantees

March 17th, 2025 at 10:30pm CST by Adam La Rose

The early portion of the new league year often represents a key checkpoint with respect to future guarantees vesting. In the case of Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, much of his 2026 compensation has now been locked in.

By virtue of remaining on Arizona’s roster past Saturday, Murray’s base salary for the 2026 season ($22.84MM) has shifted to a full guarantee. In addition, $10MM of his $17MM roster bonus – to be paid out next March – is now guaranteed (h/t Tom Pelissero of NFL Network). Of the $42.54MM Murray is scheduled to make in 2026, all but roughly $10MM is now locked in as a result.

The 2019 No. 1 pick has faced questions about his Cardinals future following the ACL tear which ended his 2022 campaign. Murray’s rehab kept him sidelined until Week 10 of the following season, but he did not encounter any setbacks and logged a full slate in 2024. The Cardinals will look for that run of health to continue into 2025 and beyond while aiming to take another step forward under head coach Jonathan Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort.

Gannon has been vocal on more than one occasion about his support for Murray as Arizona’s starter over the short- and long-term future. The first year of the Gannon-Ossenfort regime saw the team only post four wins, but three of them came after Murray returned to the lineup. The Cardinals progressed to 8-9 in 2024, with a poor run after the bye week ending their chances of topping the NFC West. Continued development will of course require high-end play on Murray’s part.

The 27-year-old’s completion percentage (68.8%) and passing yards (3,851) from 2024 were the second-highest of his career. Murray added 572 yards and five touchdowns on the ground, so mobility will not be a question mark moving forward. Overall, Arizona finished 12th in scoring and 11th in total offense last year; improvement in the passing game would go a long way in ensuring development on that side of the ball and giving the Cardinals a chance to at least qualify for a wild-card berth in 2025.

Murray’s 2022 extension has him on the books for four more years. As things stand, none of his salaries for 2027 or ’28 are locked in, but that will change one year from now if things go according to plan. His $19.5MM salary for the 2027 season will vest next March provided he remains in the fold. Of course, a strong campaign this coming season could also open the door to a new pact being worked out.

Injury Notes: Bears, Walker, Murray, Bosa

September 11th, 2024 at 9:17pm CST by Ben Levine

The Bears got good news surrounding the knee injury that knocked Rome Odunze out of Sunday’s season opener. Per Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, the rookie wide receiver suffered a Grade 1 knee sprain, the “best-case scenario” for the team and player.

Odunze suffered his MCL injury while blocking for Velus Jones Jr. during a fourth-quarter screen pass. The rookie stayed in the game for one additional play before exiting for good. The wideout is officially considered week-to-week, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, and there’s been no indication that the ninth-overall pick will have a stay on injured reserve. Coach Matt Eberflus said the Bears were “lucky” to avoid a serious injury, and he even kept the door open to Odunze playing in Week 2.

Wednesday’s injury report also showed that fellow receiver Keenan Allen didn’t practice while nursing a heel injury. Eberflus later clarified that the wideout was considered day-to-day, and there’s hope the offseason acquisition can hit the practice field on Thursday and Friday following his day off.

In the unlikely event that both Odunze and Allen are sidelined, the Bears’ deep wide receiver grouping will be down to just D.J. Moore. Rookie QB Caleb Williams is certainly hoping for his full arsenal of wideouts following an NFL debut where he completed only 14 of 29 pass attempts for 93 yards.

More injury notes from around the NFL…

Kenneth Walker left Sunday’s game with an oblique injury and didn’t practice on Wednesday, per the Seahawks‘ injury report. Mike Macdonald said the running back is day-to-day (via ESPN’s Brady Henderson), but another missed practice would obviously put the player’s Week 2 availability in doubt. Walker exited the season opener after compiling 103 rushing yards and one touchdown. Zach Charbonnet finished the game at running back, scoring a 30-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Kyler Murray was a full participant at today’s practice, but the Cardinals QB still showed up on the injury report with a knee injury. Murray, of course, suffered an ACL injury during the 2022 campaign, and 2024 represented his first healthy offseason in a few years. Murray didn’t miss a snap on Sunday, and it seemed like his knee was in good shape after he ran for 57 yards. Clayton Tune is the only other QB currently on the active roster.
The Chargers announced that Joey Bosa was a limited participant at Wednesday’s practice while dealing with a back injury. The pass rusher appeared in 60 percent of his team’s defensive snaps in Week 1, collecting a sack and a forced fumble along the way. The long-time Charger has been snake bitten by injuries over the past few years, missing 20 total games.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport passes along a list of other notable players who didn’t practice on Wednesday, including Bengals receiver Tee Higgins (hamstring), Chiefs receiver Marquise Brown (shoulder), Browns tight end David Njoku (ankle), Packers quarterback Jordan Love (MCL), and Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore (hip/hamstring).

Jonathan Gannon: ‘No Doubt’ Kyler Murray Is Cardinals’ Franchise QB

January 2nd, 2024 at 4:51pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jonathan Gannon has not exactly been hesitant to praise Kyler Murray since taking over as the Cardinals’ head coach. But the second half of Arizona’s season has been framed around seeing how the former Pro Bowler looks in a new offense. More talent around Murray is clearly needed, but the rookie HC is still confident in his triggerman.

When asked during a radio interview with Arizona Sports’ Burns and Gambo Tuesday (via AZCardinsals.com) about Murray’s post-2023 future in Arizona, Gannon said, “There is no doubt No. 1 is our franchise quarterback.” Chuckling at the question of the Cards’ 2024 QB1, Gannon has been consistent in his support for the fifth-year quarterback.

An updated endorsement is necessary not only due to Murray’s run of starts but because of the Cardinals’ draft position. Although their upset win over the Eagles dropped them in the draft order, the team still sits fourth. With neither the Bears nor Commanders — stationed at Nos. 1 and 2 — locked into drafting a quarterback, the Cardinals could have an important decision to make. Nearly a year after trading out of the No. 3 overall draft slot and signing off on a rebuilding year as Murray rehabbed his torn ACL, Gannon and GM Monti Ossenfort appear prepared to roll out the dual-threat QB in 2024 as well.

Murray is 3-4 as a starter, tripling the win total the Cardinals accumulated with Josh Dobbs at the helm, and has offered up-and-down work in OC Drew Petzing‘s attack. Murray is averaging just 6.5 yards per attempt. While that is up from his disappointing finale with Kliff Kingsbury, it is well south of his Pro Bowl work from 2020 and 2021. His 64.5% completion rate is also on pace to be the worst since his rookie year. That said, the Cardinals have a bottom-tier skill-position array and figure to be in the market for wide receiver help soon. Marquise Brown is finishing this season on IR; the 2022 trade acquisition will be an unrestricted free agent in March.

The Cardinals’ five-year, $230.5MM Murray extension will be difficult to move in 2024, anyway. Less effusive in praising the QB he inherited, Sean Payton‘s deteriorating relationship with Russell Wilson is set to key a record-shattering $84.6MM in dead money. Even though that will be spread over two years via a post-June 1 cut, the Broncos’ 2025 end of that total — slated at $55MM — would still eclipse what it would cost the Cardinals to move Murray in 2024. Still, Arizona would be tagged with $46MM in dead money if Murray were traded before June 1. Until the Wilson cut commences, the Falcons’ $40.5MM Matt Ryan dead-money hit resides as the NFL’s single-player record.

The Cards owe Murray an $11.9MM guarantee on March 17 — Day 5 of the 2023 league year — if he is still on the roster; that money covers part of his 2025 salary. The year-out guarantee would stand to drive an early trade, but it would be punitive for the Cardinals. And it does not appear Arizona will consider it.

While it is too early to call the Steve Keim-era investment a lock to remain with the now-Ossenfort-led Cardinals in the long term, Gannon continues to insist the former No. 1 overall pick is not leaving the desert in 2024.

NFC West Rumors: Murray, Dobbs, Adams

December 16th, 2023 at 2:48pm CST by Ely Allen

The outcome for the Cardinals‘ 2023 season was pretty much already decided by the time the team finally was able to return quarterback Kyler Murray to the roster. Murray has now missed 18 games over the past three years, and even when he’s been available, Murray has a 5-10 record during the most recent two seasons.

Still, Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing has full confidence in Murray as a franchise quarterback in Arizona, according to Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic. Petzing, who worked with Kirk Cousins during his tenure in Minnesota, points towards Murray’s first three years in the NFL, which resulted in an Offensive Rookie of the Year award and two Pro Bowl selections in the years following.

Petzing claims that, if it were up to him, he wouldn’t look at drafting a quarterback in the first round with one of their two Day 1 picks this April. Unfortunately for Petzing, it’s not necessarily up to him. With the recent major injury to Murray and his lack of success since the 2021 season, the rest of the team brass may deem it necessary to bring in a Day 1 passer to expand their options.

Here are a couple of other rumors coming out of the NFC West, starting with another note out of Phoenix:

When Arizona traded quarterback Joshua Dobbs to Minnesota along with a seventh-round pick, there were conditions in place that would allow for the Cardinals to get that pick back if Dobbs met certain milestones. Well, according to Howard Balzer of PHNX, despite Dobbs recently being benched in favor of Nick Mullens, the fact that Dobbs started four games for the Vikings will send Arizona’s seventh-round pick back to the Cardinals.
In a recent Q&A with Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic, Dugar addressed the possibility of Seattle moving on from former All-Pro safety Jamal Adams after this season. While that seems like a real possibility with massive cap hits of $26.9MM and $27.9MM over the next two years and Adams’ recent drop in quality of play, it wouldn’t benefit the team as much as you might think. Releasing or trading Adams would result is a charge of $20.8MM in dead money for the Seahawks while only saving $6.08MM in cap space. Designating the move as a post-June 1 release would spread the dead money over the 2024 and 2025 seasons and increase the cap savings for 2024 to $16.5MM, but that still holds quite a heavy cost. Dugar believes that Adams may receive the benefit of the doubt, given the organization knows that he’s been limited with a knee injury. The high costs with that benefit of the doubt may be enough to keep Adams in green and navy for a couple more years.

Latest On Cardinals’ Quarterback Plan

November 10th, 2023 at 10:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

Kyler Murray‘s long-awaited return will commence in Week 10. The Cardinals used up Murray’s three-week return-to-practice window, giving the former Pro Bowler effectively a midseason training camp to work in Drew Petzing‘s system. That run-up may be important to how the organization proceeds at quarterback in 2024.

Moving parts exist here, given the Cardinals’ 2024 draft placement at this season’s midpoint. But the Cardinals want to see how Murray functions in their new play-caller’s system before making a determination about the longer-term future, ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano notes.

The Cards are 1-8, but Petzing was able to coax some productive performances from Josh Dobbs, who had arrived just before the season via the Browns trade. Arizona ranks 27th in offensive DVOA, with Clayton Tune‘s disastrous outing in Cleveland making a notable impact on the team’s overall numbers. Exiting their 58-yard offensive showing against the Browns, the Cards rank 31st in passing. Petzing’s system — which came from Kevin Stefanski‘s Browns attack — is seen by some around the league as one that could boost Murray’s stock, The Athletic’s Jeff Howe adds (subscription required). That said, the dual-threat QB the Browns added — Deshaun Watson — has not exactly taken to it during his early run in Ohio.

Murray, 26, has received an extensive buildup period upon returning from his ACL tear. He is nearly 11 months removed from it. Theories about the Cardinals keeping Murray inactive as they determine their future, which could include Drake Maye or Caleb Williams, ended up unfounded. But Murray’s showing stands to impact how the team proceeds next year, regardless of Jonathan Gannon‘s interest in keeping Murray as long as he is the HC.

The Cardinals could be in position to either draft one of the top two QBs or follow in the Bears’ footsteps and auction the pick to accelerate a rebuild that would, in the latter scenario, include Murray as the centerpiece. The Texans have improved to the point it looks unlikely they will land a top-five draft slot for a fourth straight year; Houston traded its 2024 first-rounder to Arizona to move up for Will Anderson in April. It would stand to reason Murray being active will hurt the Cardinals’ chances of securing a top-two pick in the ’24 draft, but the Cardinals’ power structure wants to see the former No. 1 overall pick in this new system to collect more information.

Murray could conceivably restore some of his trade value by staying healthy upon return. But Howe adds that his contract — five years, $230.5MM ($103.3MM fully guaranteed) — is not seen as tradeable. It would cost the Cardinals a record-setting (for now, as Russell Wilson‘s contract remains on the Broncos’ cap sheet) $46MM in dead money if he were traded before June 1. The Cards would owe Murray an $11.9MM guarantee on March 17 — Day 5 of the 2023 league year — if he is still on the roster; that money covers part of his 2025 salary. The year-out guarantee would stand to drive an early trade, but it would be punitive for the Cardinals. And a shortage of teams, Murray’s flashes in the past notwithstanding, would be in line to take on that contract.

Arizona paying part of Murray’s deal could facilitate a better return, but an executive told Howe a Murray release could also be in play — in the event the Cardinals commit to drafting another QB — due to a lack of trade interest. Even in a post-June 1 scenario, the Cardinals would be hit with a $48.3MM dead-money bill in 2024 by cutting the QB they extended in July 2022. A QB-needy team not in position to nab Williams or Maye may also be interested in Murray, though the return would not approach what the Texans received for Watson last year.

The fork-in-the-road moment the Cardinals may soon face will be a storyline to monitor as Murray resumes play. They already dealt Dobbs to clear out a spot, doing so after Gannon had told the media the journeyman would start against the Browns in Week 9. Dobbs took it a step further this week, indicating Gannon informed him he would not be traded.

“Went to sleep, woke up Tuesday morning with a text from my agent saying, ‘Hey, you could be traded today because it’s the trade deadline,” Dobbs said on his Torchbearers podcast (via Yardbarker). “When I had the meeting with [Gannon] in Arizona, he looked at me in the face and he said, ‘You’re not being traded. You’re not being released. You’re going to be here in Arizona.”

After Gannon confirmed the Cardinals’ course change on Oct. 30, the team pulled the trigger on the Dobbs trade hours before the Oct. 31 deadline. The Cardinals sent Dobbs and a conditional seventh-round pick to the Vikings for a 2024 sixth-rounder. Dobbs, who made eight starts as a Cardinal, will start again for the Vikings in Week 10. It is not uncommon to see coaches and GMs backtrack on previous claims as trade rumors circulate, and it is also possible Gannon intended to start Dobbs once again but ended up being overruled.

The 28-year-old passer, after replacing a concussed Jaren Hall, piloted the Vikings to an upset win in Atlanta despite barely knowing Kevin O’Connell‘s system. Tune is now positioned as Murray’s backup, but the next two months will provide some answers about Arizona’s post-2023 QB direction.

Cardinals QB Kyler Murray To Start Week 10

November 10th, 2023 at 10:47am CST by Ben Levine

NOVEMBER 10: Gannon confirmed on Friday that Murray will indeed get the nod in Week 10, making the matchup against the Falcons an important first step in the evaluation process for Arizona’s new brain trust. In addition to Murray, the Cardinals could have running back James Conner in the lineup as well. Gannon added that the latter is “trending in the right direction” to be able to suit up. Conner was designated for return earlier this week, and he will need to be activated no later than Saturday to play against Atlanta.

NOVEMBER 6: The Cardinals are expecting Kyler Murray to be under center this weekend. Coach Jonathan Gannon told reporters that Murray will be serving as the QB1 during this week’s practice, and if all goes well, the franchise quarterback will start on Sunday against the Falcons.

Either way, Murray will be activated from the physically unable to perform list on Wednesday. After returning to practice in October, the 21-day window to activate Murray from PUP was set to expire this week.

Following the Cardinals’ decision to trade fill-in Joshua Dobbs at the deadline, there was hope that Murray would be ready for Week 9. Instead, the team rolled with rookie Clayton Tune against the Browns yesterday. The results weren’t pretty; Tune passed for only 58 yards, had three turnovers, and was sacked seven times.

While Murray is expected to be back this weekend, Gannon admitted that the quarterback might not look like his old self. It’s been about 11 months since Murray last saw the field for a regular-season game, and the quarterback has spent the better part of a year rehabbing from a torn ACL. As a result, it might take a bit for him to shake off the rust.

“We have to be willing to understand it might not look like Kyler,” Gannon said (via the team’s website). “I think he has a good expectation of that, the coaches have a good expectation of that. I know this, he’s going to come out there, play his game and help us win.”

After earning a pair of Pro Bowls and guiding Arizona to 17 wins between the 2020 and 2021 seasons, the quarterback struggled a bit in 2022. While he had a career-low 1.8 percent interception rate, he was also connecting on a career-low 215 passing yards per game. With Kliff Kingsbury now out of the picture, it will be interesting to see what Gannon and co. can get out of the franchise QB.

Speaking of, the Cardinals may have been willing to bail on Murray prior to the trade deadline. Dianna Russini of The Athletic believes that the front office would have been willing to hear offers on the quarterback, but Murray’s contract makes a trade too problematic. Murray inked a five-year, $230.5MM extension ($160MM guaranteed) with the Cardinals during the 2022 offseason.

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