There's no time like the NFL offseason to spew crazy takes about the upcoming year. For the most part, these claims fade into the shadows once the season rolls around, destined to be forgotten even by those who made them.
This prediction though, as scary as it is, could actually come true.
Sports Illustrated analyst says Kyler Murray is on the way out
In a recent article, Sports Illustrated's Connor Orr gave 100 bold predictions about the upcoming NFL season. The takes varied in both seriousness and likelihood, but one about Kyler Murray stuck out.
According to Orr, "Kyler Murray will play his final snaps for the Cardinals" in 2025.
Orr goes on to say that "The former No. 1 pick is not a bad quarterback, but the Cardinals will likely conclude that the club has maximized Murray in Arizona and that it’s best to recoup some kind of draft asset before pivoting."
He's absolutely right about one thing: Kyler Murray is not a bad quarterback. Statistically, he's been just above league average for the majority of his career. Sure, his stature has limited his ability to throw over the middle of the field, but he makes up for it with elite creativity and underrated arm talent.
Has Murray been everything that Cardinals fans could have hoped for a former No. 1 pick to be? No, not even close. But he's been a capable starter.
In the NFL, "capable starter" isn't always good enough.
If Kyler Murray is not the Cardinals quarterback in 2026, this season will have gone terribly. After a stellar offseason in which they completely revamped their defense, the Cardinals are expected to make a push for a playoff appearance. This team is more talented than it has been since Kyler Murray arrived in 2019. There are simply no excuses for mediocrity this year.
If the Cardinals fail to meet expectations again this year, the blame will have to fall on someone. Typically, that's either the head coach, the offensive coordinator, or the quarterback. Jonathan Gannon is generally recognized as a high-quality head coach, so that leaves two options: offensive coordinator Drew Petzing and Kyler Murray.
Right or wrong, Murray might end up being the one to take the fall for a hypothetical failed season. The Cardinals have spent major draft capital in recent years on supporting their star quarterback. At some point, he has to make it work.
None of us want to see this team begin yet another rebuild, so let's just hope that Kyler proves that he is the superstar that the Cardinals drafted him to be.