-
josh weinfuss
multiple authors
After seven tumultuous seasons in the desert, Kyler Murray’s time with the Arizona Cardinals is coming to an end.
Arizona will release the 28-year-old quarterback on Wednesday, the first day of the 2026 league year, sources told ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter on Tuesday. A source told ESPN that this was Murray’s preferred outcome. Now, Murray can decide where he ends up instead of being drafted to a team that is out of his control. The source told ESPN that Murray prefers two unnamed destinations.
Wherever Murray ends up, the Cardinals have already guaranteed him $36.8 million for 2026. They avoided paying him an additional $19.5 million for 2027 by releasing him before the fifth day of the league year.
It started out as an apparent match made in heaven in 2019, with Oklahoma’s Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback going No. 1 to the Cardinals, who had recently hired Kliff Kingsbury as their coach. Kingsbury, the former Texas Tech coach, coached Murray out of high school, and although he was unsuccessful, the two formed a strong relationship.
But this created a messy situation.
Murray has led Arizona to the playoffs just once, a blowout loss to the Los Angeles Rams in 2021. In 2022, shortly after signing his extension, news leaked of a clause added to his contract requiring Murray to study film four hours a week, publicly calling his commitment into question. Later that season, Murray sidelined Kingsbury before suffering an ACL injury, the first major injury of Murray’s career.
In the three seasons that followed, Murray never returned to his pre-injury rhythm under former coach Jonathan Gannon, who has been replaced by Mike LaFleur.
So what’s next for the Cardinals? Will they draft Murray’s replacement? And where might the undead end up? Vikings reporter Kevin Seifert and NFL Draft analyst Matt Miller help provide insight. — josh weinfuss
What is Arizona’s QB outlook in the offseason?
The Cardinals still have Jacoby Brissett under contract for 2026, and remember, he was first in completions, second in passing yards and third in passing touchdowns from Week 6, when he took over for Murray during the remainder of the season. Even though Arizona won one game with him on the field, Brissett produced.
I sincerely thank those who supported me and showed kindness to me and my family during my time in AZ.
I wanted nothing more than to be the one to end the 77 year drought for this organization, I’m sorry I failed us. I wish this community and my…
– Kyler Murray (@K1) 3 March 2026
Whether LaFleur likes what he sees in Brissett enough to keep him this season has yet to be seen, but the Cardinals are unlikely to draft a quarterback at No. 3, although there is a possibility of a pick later in the draft. This leaves the Cardinals either trading for a quarterback or signing one in free agency, which is the most likely option.
A source said there is interest between the Cardinals and Rams quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, with whom LaFleur worked the past three seasons in Los Angeles. — venfus
Are the Vikings the team to sign Murray?
Absolutely.
Vikings executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski said last week that the team is exploring every opportunity to acquire a quarterback in 2025 following JJ McCarthy’s struggles. Minnesota isn’t necessarily looking to replace McCarthy as the starter, but it also hasn’t ruled out a newcomer who would come into the building as an unquestioned starter.
This puts Murray at – or near – the top of the list for the Vikings. There will almost certainly be interest in seeing what impact even just one season of playing with Justin Jefferson and coach Kevin O’Connell will have on his career.
The question is whether the Vikings are really willing to send McCarthy back to the bench after making just 10 starts since making him the No. 10 pick of the 2024 draft.
As O’Connell enters his fifth season with the team, none of which have included a playoff win, this is something to consider. — Kevin Seifert
Could Arizona take Murray with the No. 3 pick in the draft?
Cardinals can Replace Murray at No. 3 overall, but he shouldn’t. The 2026 draft includes a viable franchise quarterback in Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, and he is expected to be selected No. 1 overall by the Las Vegas Raiders.
Reaching the QB2 of the class is not an ideal situation in this era. Alabama’s Ty Simpson currently holds the title, but I have him ranked 39th over Mac Jones. Basically, after only 15 college starts and with average measurables and traits, Simpson becoming an impact guy in the NFL is no sure thing.
A more likely move, if the Cardinals address the position in the draft, would be the team moving back from No. 34 overall to Round 1 to either get Simpson there with better value or a QB3 in the class. That’ll probably be LSU’s Garrett Nussmeyer, Penn State’s Drew Elar or Miami’s Carson Beck, depending on how Arizona’s draft board is. — miller
