Quarterback Kyler Murray‘s time in Arizona is up. Barring a trade, the Cardinals informed Murray they’ll release him on the primary day of the league, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
The Cardinals have hoped to tug off a Murray trade for not less than several weeks, but they’ve had no luck finding a taker. Not only is Murray on an expensive contract, but he sat out 12 games last season with a mid-foot sprain and didn’t play past Week 5. It was the second significant injury during Murray’s seven-year profession. The previous No. 1 pick previously tore his ACL in 2022.
A release is the popular consequence for Murray, who could have the liberty to decide on his second NFL employer once the Cardinals officially cut him. Alternatively, it’s lower than ideal for the team. Together with receiving no compensation for Murray, Arizona will tackle a mammoth amount of dead money.
If Murray shouldn’t be designated a post-June 1 release, the Cardinals will absorb a $54.72MM charge and lose over $2MM in cap space in 2026. A post-June 1 release would spread $77.25MM in dead money over two years (including $70.05MM in 2026). The Cardinals would also lose $17.39MM in cap space next season. The one silver lining for Arizona is that can escape paying Murray a $19.5MM salary for 2027 that will have vested on the fifth day of the upcoming league 12 months.
Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort was not a part of the organization when Murray signed a five-year, $230MM extension in July 2022. Steve Keim was on the helm then, at which point Murray’s stock was at an all-time high. The previous Oklahoma Heisman Trophy winner took home Offensive Rookie of the Yr honors in his NFL debut before earning back-to-back original-ballot Pro Bowl nods from 2020-21.
The Cardinals won 11 games to interrupt a five-year playoff drought in Murray’s third season, however the Rams leveled them within the wild-card round. While Murray’s extension got here several months later, he and the organization have fallen off dramatically since then. The descent began before Murray’s Week 14 ACL tear in 2022. The Cardinals had already lost eight of their first 12 games by then. They went on to complete 4-13. Jonathan Gannon replaced Kliff Kingsbury because the Cardinals’ head coach after the season.
With Murray’s recovery dragging into November 2023, the Cardinals were 1-8 when he returned to make his first start in Week 10. Murray spent the last eight weeks of the 12 months shaking off the rust, and the Cardinals logged their second straight four-win season to start the Gannon era.
Murray and the Cardinals showed some signs of a rebound in 2024. In Murray’s lone 17-game season thus far, the 5-foot-10, 207-pounder accomplished 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, the mobile Murray piled up 572 yards on a lofty 7.3 per carry and scored five more TDs. The Cardinals went 8-9 with a plus-21 point differential.
Any progress the Cardinals could have made two years ago vanished during Murray’s injury-wrecked final season of their uniform. After Murray and backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett combined for a 3-14 mark, Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill retained Ossenfort but fired Gannon. Mike LaFleur is now in place because the Cardinals’ head coach. He’ll either work with Brissett or a unique starter in his first 12 months in charge.
Set to play his age-29 season in August, Murray should draw a good amount of interest in free agency on a prove-it contract. The Vikings are rumored to have interest in Murray, but they’re just considered one of several teams out there for a possible starter.