Kyler Murray is in his seventh season with the Arizona Cardinals after becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Yet, now he may be in his final season with the team after they essentially used an injury as a reason to bench him for Jacoby Brissett.
So, how did we get here? After all, most quarterbacks picked No. 1 overall who are given a second contract after their rookie deal expires become a team’s franchise QB, but what about Murray?
Well, according to ESPN’s Cardinals insider Josh Weinfuss, this is a split that’s likely been in the works for several seasons now. Specifically, Murray tried offering his input on personnel decisions such as drafting players and acquiring other offensive pieces. However, the Cards “dismissed his requests” after previously working with Murray to acquire one of his closest friends, Marquise “Hollywood” Brown.
“Murray wanted his voice heard in personnel decisions and draft choices, according to a source familiar with the situation. For the most part, the Cardinals dismissed his requests to add certain players until trading for Marquise Brown in a draft-day move in 2022, giving Murray one of his best friends and a former college teammate.”
ESPN on Kyler Murray
The Cardinals signed Murray to a five-year, $230.5 million contract extension in July of 2022, but he hasn’t lived up to the billing. Murray has led the Cardinals to a 38-41-1 record across seven seasons, leading them to the playoffs just once.
Now, by all appearances, he’ll get a fresh opportunity with another organization. The biggest question left may be whether Murray gets to choose his next stop as a free agent or if the Cardinals think they can find a trade partner for the remaining two years left on his contract, where he’s set to have a ridiculous cap hit of $53.2 million in 2026.
Related: 2025 NFL QB Rankings: Where’s Shedeur Sanders?
