Arizona Cardinals signal-caller Kyler Murray is one of the most interesting quarterbacks to watch this offseason. After an injury opened the door for what felt like a soft benching in 2025, it appears the two sides are destined for a split.
Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine that he’s had “good dialogue” with Murray about what’s next, and that “all options are on the table for us.” However, ESPN reports that Murray and the Cardinals haven’t spoken since the season ended.
Murray played in just five games in 2025 due to a foot injury, winning two. He completed 68.3% of his passes for 962 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions. When he exited the lineup, Jacoby Brissett came in and was more efficient, averaging 280.5 passing yards per game in his 12 starts compared to Murray’s 192.4.
2026 NFL offseason matchmaker for QB-needy teams: Fernando Mendoza to Raiders, Kyler Murray on the move
Garrett Podell
Murray signed a five-year, $230.5 million extension in 2022, and the Cardinals have to make a decision on his future prior to the fifth day of the new league year, when he receives $19.5 million guaranteed in the form of a 2027 roster bonus. If Murray were to be released with a post-June 1 designation, the Cardinals would take on $47.5 million in dead cap this year, $7.2 million in dead cap next year, and save $5.1 million in 2026 per Spotrac.
We know how electric of an athlete Murray is when he’s healthy. He made the Pro Bowl in 2020 and 2021, and got Arizona to the playoffs once. He’s not yet 30 years old, so could Murray become the next Sam Darnold with a change of scenery? Let’s take a look at five potential landing spots for Murray.
There are some New York Jets fans out there who aren’t excited to ride the veteran quarterback carousel again after the Justin Fields disaster last year, but Murray is a much more experienced player than Fields. Plus, what rookie intrigues those in New York? Dante Moore is staying in college, Fernando Mendoza is likely going No. 1 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders and it’s hard to tell if Ty Simpson is a first-round pick right now. New York probably isn’t considering him with the No. 2 overall pick. Malik Willis may be the top free-agent quarterback this offseason, but if the Jets miss out on him, Murray could bring some level of stability to the Jets offense.
The Minnesota Vikings appear to be in the market for a veteran quarterback after J.J. McCarthy’s struggles last year. In his first full NFL season, McCarthy averaged 163.2 passing yards and threw 11 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. He finished last in completion percentage (57.6%) and passer rating (72.6) among quarterbacks with at least 10 starts. I don’t think the Vikings are ready to totally give up on their No. 10 overall pick, and I’m not saying they should be, but bringing in a veteran to at least compete with McCarthy is a good idea.
It looked like the Pittsburgh Steelers were ready to embrace the organizational reset the franchise had put off for years, but then they hired Mike McCarthy, who is considering bringing Aaron Rodgers back. If Rodgers does end up retiring, then Murray could be an option for Pittsburgh. Perhaps fans are hoping for a young quarterback that could be their long-term signal-caller, but could that not be Murray? No, he’s not 22 years old, but not many viewed Darnold as a lock to be the long-term option for the Seattle Seahawks when he signed with them last year.
The Cardinals and Miami Dolphins could just trade quarterbacks. That’s a joke, because it wouldn’t make sense from a contractual standpoint. But Miami may be in the market for a veteran quarterback this offseason after likely moving on from Tua Tagovailoa, and Murray does make some sense as the Dolphins prepare for a rebuild. New general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan mentioned that the Dolphins will draft a quarterback this offseason, but that he is also excited for what Quinn Ewers is capable of. That doesn’t mean signing someone like Murray is completely off the table, though.
Here’s an interesting one. The Atlanta Falcons are expected to move on from Kirk Cousins, and Michael Penix Jr. is recovering from a torn ACL suffered just three months ago. If I were Matt Ryan and Kevin Stefanski, I would be in the market for a quarterback. It’s not like Penix has been a revelation either. He’s 4-8 as a starter, and has two 300-yard games compared to four starts where he failed to cross 200 yards passing. The Falcons are a team that could be in the market for a veteran starter — if the price is right.
