Kyler Murray’s days as an Arizona Cardinal are done, no questions about it. The team plans to find a trade partner for the 28-year-old dual-threat quarterback, but there is no trajectory or idea of who the recipient of Murray will be.
The only issue in the whole Murray saga is that no one knows what the destination is going to be. The landing spot has not come to fruition yet, and both parties know that. However, the truth is that there may not even be a landing spot for Murray via trade, as no one wants to be responsible for the hefty cap hit he is seeing in 2026. $52 million guaranteed in 2026, and more than $40 million the year after. It is no surprise to see zero interest in the veteran quarterback, as his play is nowhere near the value stamped on him.
NBC Sports’ Matthew Berry did some boots-on-the-ground reporting from the NFL combine, and one of his biggest takeaways was the fact that a complete divorce may happen. No trade, just released altogether.
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Unfortunately for Arizona, if they aren’t able to trade Murray, they will be forced to take on a cap hit that is north of $45 million. That is something that they just can’t afford, especially in a period of rebuilding.
The Cardinals will need to develop a trade package that includes Murray and some picks to help compensate for the fact that whatever team lands him will be taking on a massive contract.
It is clear that not even the league’s top experts know where Murray will end up, and that leaves a ton of uncertainty as we hit the final stretch until the new league year kicks off on March 11.
Will a decision come soon? We don’t know.