Arizona Cardinals: Major network gives ill-fated prediction for Kyler Murray

Fifth-year Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray has done everything right as he tries to battle back from a torn ACL. And while he probably won’t be lining up under center until at least October, the 26-year-old will have a fighting chance to prove he can still be ‘the guy’ for the Redbirds in running a new-look offense. 

But Dan Graziano of ESPN believes otherwise, stating that Murray, despite being signed to a massive contract through the 2028 season, likely won’t be an Arizona Cardinal much longer. Also, despite the financial strife it would cause the Cardinals, Graziano appears to be unfazed, considering his following quote: 

"“They could be in position to draft the best quarterback prospect in the 2024 class -- which right now is USC's Caleb Williams -- and have him for five years on a rookie deal. That would make a big dead-money hit a lot easier to swallow.”"

- Dan Graziano

Source: 2024 NFL quarterback predictions: 19 teams with starter questions by Dan Graziano, ESPN

While Graziano is correct that this could at least remedy the situation regarding the quarterback position if the Cardinals cut Murray, all signs point to the Redbirds hanging onto him. Once again, and I can’t stress this enough, head coach Jonathan Gannon and offensive coordinator Drew Petzing have specifically retooled the offense for Murray, and that alone more than indicates he’s their guy. 

The only way the Arizona Cardinals will cut ties with Murray…

And let’s face it: Caleb Williams would be an awful fit for the Cardinals, and it’s something I’ve discussed previously. He lacks size, he’s playing under Lincoln Riley and Kliff Kingsbury, and the offense he’s in will be an “Air Raid,” among other reasons.

Therefore, even if Murray toiled through another subpar season, the Cards would be smart to keep him around in favor of bringing in Williams. Unless, and this could very well occur if his stock keeps trending north, considering how well he played overall in camp, Clayton Tune wins the starting job and looks like a Dak Prescott/Brock Purdy. 

At that point, it’s understandable to get rid of Murray, and rightfully so. But unless Tune plays like an Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate, Graziano’s “most likely outcome” isn’t going to be so likely. 

Thanks to Steve Keim, the Arizona Cardinals are just investing too much money in the former top pick. He will be there in 2024, barring a top-tier rookie campaign from Tune.