After identifying and interviewing several candidates, the Arizona Cardinals have hired a new head coach, picking Mike LaFleur. The latest offensive mind from the Sean McVay coaching tree to land a head coaching job, seeing who the Cardinals pick to be their new starting quarterback, will be crucial to Arizona’s success or demise.
Of course, the Cardinals could see the value in two-time Pro Bowl QB Kyler Murray, who’s coming off a season in which he was benched due to ineffectiveness after being held below 221 passing yards in all five starts. While injuries surely played a factor in Murray’s struggles, his $52.6 million cap hit is an issue.
If the Cardinals don’t move forward with Murray, here are five quarterbacks Arizona could consider instead.
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Tua Tagovailoa
One potential solution for Arizona could be to swap one expensive Pro Bowl QB for another. The Miami Dolphins may be ready to move on from Tua Tagovailoa, who has a $56.2 million cap hit in 2026, four million more than Murray.
Like Murray, Tagovailoa is a once-proven Pro Bowl QB, but Arizona’s dual-threat is one year younger than Miami’s signal-caller. If the price is right, the Cardinals may be able to luck into buying low on a potential franchise solution who can help Arizona win right away.
Joe Flacco
He may be 41 years old, but sometimes it’s best not to overpay for the wrong quarterback, and Flacco could be an inexpensive stopgap who can still help the Cardinals be competitive. The Cardinals may have the upper hand in negotiations with other teams, as LaFleur was Flacco’s offensive coordinator with the New York Jets from 2021 to 2022.
The Cardinals wouldn’t have to break the bank for the veteran signal-caller. Plus, he may be the optimal person to pair with a mid-round rookie QB who would benefit from having someone with 18 seasons of experience around.
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Jimmy Garoppolo
While Garoppolo’s days as a Week 1 starting quarterback may be over, he might have another shot at the job in Arizona on a short-term basis. Like some others on this list, Jimmy G overlapped with LaFleur in two previous stops, with the Los Angeles Rams from 2023 to 2025 and for four seasons on the San Francisco 49ers from 2017 to 2020.
If nothing else, he’d be someone who can help LaFleur install his new offense while having already mastered the concepts himself. When it comes time to compete for the starting job, that extra experience could give Garoppolo the edge for QB1 status.
Deshaun Watson
After having torn his Achilles tendon twice in the past two seasons, Watson is expected to be fully healthy by the start of the 2026 season. Watson hasn’t been able to replicate the superstar form we previously saw from him in Houston over to Cleveland too, but he’s still a three-time Pro Bowl QB.
LaFleur may be willing to accept the challenge of trying to see what he can fix in the 30-year-old former star QB. Meanwhile, we’d imagine the Browns would be more than willing to move on from him for nothing more than a Day 3 selection and that may be worth the gamble for Arizona.
Malik Willis
Perhaps the most exciting free agent quarterback available this offseason, Malik Willis may be exactly what coach LaFleur is looking for. Plus, if the Cardinals’ new coach needs to gather any inside intel on the dual-threat QB, his old head coach, Mike’s brother, is just one call away.
Willis could be the next great free agency gamble who develops into not just a starter, but possibly a star QB in Arizona. Of course, the 26-year-old could also flop in his next adventure too, but he’d have a strong receiving corps led by Trey McBride, Marvin Harrison Jr, and Michael Wilson.
Combine those weapons with the speed and escapism Willis has, and the Cardinals’ offense could have something special next season, especially with the expected return of James Conner after being limited to three games in 2025.
