It flew under the radar last week during the frenzy of action at the NFL trade deadline, and frankly because Arizona might be one of the sleepier markets in football right now. But the Cardinals and QB Kyler Murray took a major step toward a split this past week. Whether the team calls it a benching or not, Murray won’t be starting for the foreseeable future — and he might not regain his job ever. 

How did the Cardinals get here with their former No. 1 pick? What’s next for the team? What’s next for Murray? We try to sort it all out here. 

How Did Murray & The Cards Get Here? 

The Cardinals drafted Murray with the No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft, with first-year HC Kliff Kingsbury championing Murray as the guy he wanted to build around. Kingsbury knew Murray from his time coaching college football in Texas, and while he didn’t land Murray at Texas Tech, he built a strong relationship with him. Murray was viewed as the optimal fit for the Air Raid scheme Kingsbury was bringing to the NFL. 

The early returns were good. Murray won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2019 and Arizona was 5-10-1 in the first year of the rebuild under Kingsbury. In Year 2, Murray had 37 total touchdowns, including 11 on the ground, and made the first of two straight Pro Bowls. The following season, the Cardinals looked like one of the league’s top teams for the first half of the year with a 7-1 start and went on to make the playoffs thanks to 29 total touchdowns from Murray. 

That was the peak for both Murray and Kingsbury. Murray got banged up in Arizona’s first loss in 2021, missed a few games and then was at less than 100 percent when he came back. The Cardinals fizzled a bit down the stretch — a recurring theme for both Kingsbury and Murray — and got trounced by the Rams in the wildcard round. Kingsbury got a brand-new contract in the offseason, as did Murray, but the following year was rough for both. 

Frustrations between the two men bubbled to the surface during the 2022 season as the losses piled up. The Cardinals were 3-8 when Murray tore his ACL, ending a season that was already on the rocks. Kingsbury was fired, as was longtime GM Steve Keim, as Arizona wiped the slate completely clean and hired a brand-new regime. 

At that point, Murray had already been a polarizing player for some time, with the hype of his first three years cooling and the criticisms intensifying as he and the Cardinals failed to find sustained success. Not many current quarterbacks have taken more arrows about their leadership skills, and not just from the talking heads but from current and former teammates. Some of that could be chalked up to growing pains for a young quarterback, particularly one who already has a more laid-back and reserved personality (some would say guarded). But the issue crops up too much for it to be nothing. 

There have also been criticisms about Murray’s work ethic, inflamed by the infamous homework clause Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill insisted be included initially in Murray’s massive 2022 contract extension. It was later removed after it became public, embarrassing both Bidwill and Murray. The quarterback said afterward there was no way he would have had the success he did at his size in the NFL if he didn’t watch film, but the reputation has lingered. 

Speaking of size, that’s been another question mark for Murray, particularly as it relates to his ability or inability to stay healthy. Murray has been banged up a lot in his career. Not all of them have been major, in fact the only significant injury was a torn ACL in 2022, but when Murray is hurt, it seems to impact his performance more than other quarterbacks. 

Put another way, some players can operate and have success at far less than 100 percent. Murray doesn’t seem like one of them. He’s a special talent who can make plays with his speed, elusiveness and throwing ability that it’s fair to say no one else can. It just seems like Murray needs optimal circumstances more than some other quarterbacks. For all of Murray’s gifts, he’s also always been inconsistent at winning from the pocket, the gold standard for long-term quarterback viability. 

This is the context new GM Monti Ossenfort and GM Jonathan Gannon had concerning Murray, who was rehabbing his torn ACL when they were hired. It’s common for new regimes to change directions, and the Cardinals built up some draft capital and had a high pick in the loaded 2024 draft class. They had options if they wanted to go in a different direction. 

Instead, there was a pointed effort to support Murray and reinforce his status as the franchise quarterback. Ossenfort and Gannon went to great lengths publicly and privately to show their support, even attending a statue unveiling ceremony for Murray at Oklahoma for winning the Heisman. The goal was to stamp out all public doubt, and there was significant doubt, about Murray’s status with the team, especially as he missed the first nine games of the 2023 season due to his ACL rehab. 

Ossenfort and Gannon took the roster down to the studs in their first year, so everyone in the building essentially got a mulligan, including Murray with his ACL rehab. In Year 2, everyone seemed to take a step forward. Murray had 26 total touchdowns and played a full 17-game season. The Cardinals went from 4-13 to 8-9, though they also had a shot to do even better, going from first place in the NFC West at 6-4 to a 1-5 slump after their bye that eliminated them from the playoffs by Week 18. 

Year 3 was when it was all supposed to come together. Ossenfort had three offseasons to build the roster. Gannon had three years to instill his culture. Murray had three years to master OC Drew Petzing’s offense, and Petzing had all that time to tailor the scheme to Murray. 

Instead, the Cardinals started 2-3 this year and Murray sprained his foot in a stunning collapse against the Titans in which the Cardinals were about to go up 28-6 with 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter. That’s the last time we’ve seen Murray take the field in a Cardinals’ jersey — and it might be the last time ever. 

Did Arizona Actually Bench Murray?

The Cardinals’ actual handling of Murray has been murky and it’s left room for debate on social media about Murray’s status. What has been clear is that veteran QB Jacoby Brissett has come into the exact same circumstances and outplayed Murray, at least heading into Week 10. What’s also clear is that with Murray on injured reserve, it will be Brissett under center for the time being. 

Murray’s health remains an unknown factor in the whole situation. After getting hurt against the Titans, Murray was limited in practice for two weeks before Arizona’s bye. In the week coming out of the bye, it seemed like Murray was ramping up his practice participation. Gannon even told reporters they were getting Murray ready to start. 

Then something changed. The starting quarterback press availability was pushed to later in the week, and then it was Brissett who spoke. That foreshadowed Brissett getting the start in Week 9 against the Cowboys and snapping Arizona’s losing streak. The Cardinals denied that Murray was being “soft benched” — using a minor injury as an excuse to bench a player to protect their confidence from a “hard benching.” Then, two days after the Cowboys win, the Cardinals placed Murray on injured reserve and formally sidelined him for another four games. 

In a profession that’s notoriously paranoid and obsessed with minor competitive advantages, Gannon is one of the worst offenders when it comes to clarity with the media about injuries. He’ll also blatantly lie rather than just skirt the question like many of his peers. The mixed messaging from him around Murray has been egregious. 

• October 30, said they were preparing Murray to start. (Josh Weinfuss)
• Then when Gannon backtracked, he still tried to maintain that Murray could have some kind of role even if he didn’t start, and that the decision was a health decision, not a football decision. He also said injured reserve wasn’t a possibility at the time. (Weinfuss)
• After the win against the Cowboys, Gannon said after the game that nothing would change with the team’s quarterback depth chart. (ESPN)
• The next day, he announced Brissett would start in Week 10, again saying it was related to Murray’s injury. He maintained they weren’t putting Murray on IR. (ESPN)
• Wednesday, Gannon announced Murray would be going on injured reserve while he worked on his “health bucket.” In a radio interview later on, Gannon was asked if he would have made the move to Brissett regardless of injury: “It’s a hypothetical, but yeah I like where we’re at right now with the offense moving forward.”

At some point, though, whether it’s due to injury or performance, all that matters is that Murray is out of the lineup. If Brissett keeps playing well in the same offense Murray couldn’t master, that’s a strike against him. If the Cardinals keep losing, that’s more pressure to make some kind of major change in the offseason, and Murray’s the most exposed given the arranged marriage between him and Gannon/Ossenfort. It’s also fair to wonder if Murray feels like he’s in the best place for him and would welcome a mutual parting of ways. 

The big-name insiders at both ESPN (Adam Schefter) and NFL Network (Ian Rapoport) wrote about Murray’s uncertain future on Sunday, which is as big a sign as you can get that this is all real and not some Internet invention. There’s still a narrow path to Murray staying in Arizona, involving him reclaiming the starting job and playing at a high level. A Hail Mary helped make him a star years ago, he needs the equivalent of another one to keep the dream alive in Arizona. 

If not, the question becomes what’s next? 

Trade Logistics For A Murray Deal

If the Cardinals do look to move on from Murray, which seems where this is headed, the obvious play is to try and trade Murray to another team in need of a starting quarterback. That will not necessarily be a straightforward task. While Murray’s talent is obvious, all the other intangible parts of playing the quarterback position have been question marks through his seven years in the league. This will also be the second coaching staff where the relationship with Murray has hit an expiration date. 

The annual quarterback tiers survey from the Athletic’s Mike Sando is generally a good barometer for how passers are viewed around the league. Murray has been voted a Tier 3 QB for three straight years now, coming in right around the middle of the pack compared to his peers. Sando defines a Tier 3 QB as “a legitimate starter but needs a heavier running game and/or defensive component to win. A lower-volume dropback passing offense suits him best.” This is worth keeping in mind when projecting how far teams will stretch — or won’t — to get Murray. 

Murray’s contract will be another tax on his value. He has three years remaining on his current deal at a total of $125 million, which is what a new team would inherit. Murray is due a little over $40 million next year, nearly all of it guaranteed. Another $19.5 million of his 2027 compensation becomes guaranteed this coming March, meaning a team that trades for Murray is either committing to two years or $60 million for just one year in a worst-case scenario. As long as the worst doesn’t happen, Murray’s contract isn’t unreasonable for a quarterback with top-10 upside. It’s also not a small investment, either, and some teams won’t have the assets to get involved. 

Murray turns 29 next August, which isn’t considered old by normal quarterback standards. However, Murray isn’t your normal quarterback. He’s always been heavily reliant on his legs to create value for an offense, so it’s valid to have questions about how gracefully his skillset will age. How a team answers that question will dictate much of how they value Murray, though it’s worth noting he showed no signs of slowing down before his foot injury this year. 

All told, the Cardinals should still be able to swing a trade for Murray given the potential he’s shown throughout his career. There’s just too much demand for quarterbacks leaguewide, and there’s never been a higher premium placed on out-of-structure playmaking — still a strength of Murray’s game. Teams want that dude under center who can put the team on his back and go win a game. Murray has shown the ability to do that, albeit not consistently. Still, it will be enough for some coaches to think they can harness that physical ability and get the best out of Murray. 

How much the Cardinals get for Murray will depend on how well they play the leverage game in the coming months. Teams that are interested in Murray will want to be careful about showing their hand and will have every incentive to try and drive down the price. If Arizona can get multiple teams bidding, that will help. If they’re willing to take on some of Murray’s salary, that will improve the trade compensation as well. 

Given all of this, multiple first-round picks are probably far-fetched as an asking price for the Cardinals. A package with a single first-round pick might be on the table if the Cardinals play their cards right, similar to how the Eagles ended up getting a first for Carson Wentz when they traded him to the Colts (Wentz was going into his age-29 season, just like Murray will be). However, I think a package featuring a Day 2 pick, probably a second-rounder, is the most likely compensation, taking into account all of the mitigating factors here. 

Potential Landing Spots

The quarterback market will likely change in the coming weeks as new information comes in. Some guys will play their way out, others might play their way in. There’s enough data to make some educated guesses about which teams could be interested in a potential Murray trade, however. 

Miami Dolphins

Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel has shown he can design an offense that supercharges a quarterback who might otherwise be pretty ordinary. Murray has true special traits, but also some limitations. That makes this a fascinating potential pairing that could go either way. McDaniel and Murray could either flame the league or flame out spectacularly. 

One major obstacle to a deal is Murray’s contract, as the Dolphins already are on the hook for $54 million guaranteed for current starting QB Tua Tagovailoa and have a major cap deficit to dig out of before the start of next offseason. If Miami is forced to cut Tagovailoa, they will be in the market for a cheaper alternative, taking them out of the market for Murray. If Miami can trade Tagovailoa, either to the Cardinals or a third team, a trade for Murray might be feasible, as long as Miami doesn’t have to eat too much of Tagovailoa’s contract. 

The appeal for Murray for the Dolphins compared to a lower-cost bridge quarterback or a rookie would be that he’s a much more proven and established option, which could matter if McDaniel is still around in 2026 as he’d almost certainly start the year on the hot seat given how this season has gone. That might give them a little extra incentive to find a way to make it work with Murray. 

New Orleans Saints

Saints HC Kellen Moore is another established offensive mind who is searching for a quarterback to build with, as ultimately the quarterback determines the ceiling for any coach. Moore is ultimately the only one who can answer how he views Murray, but the former No. 1 pick is likely going to be the biggest name available this offseason. If the Saints don’t love their options in this upcoming rookie class, they could go after Murray. 

Salary will be an obstacle for the Saints as well. New Orleans is coming out of its lean years as far as the salary cap, but will still have another offseason before they can operate like a normal team. They would need a little over $40 million in cap space to be able to get Murray onto the roster, at which point they could restructure his deal and find a way to manage it. New Orleans might need the Cardinals to eat money to help facilitate that first hurdle. 

The Saints used a second-round pick on Tyler Shough, who just made his second start and got his first win in Week 10 against the Panthers. Before that, Spencer Rattler had been operating as the Saints’ starting quarterback. Both players have flashed but the Saints’ 2-7 record speaks for itself, and they have not invested so much in either player that they would be warded off from chasing an upgrade if one presented itself. 

New York Jets

If the Jets found the physical gifts of current starting QB Justin Fields appealing, they’ll almost certainly have a solid evaluation of Murray. I’m not sure Murray would grade as well as Fields for New York’s personnel department in the intangible department, as that part of his game has always been solid and earned him chances despite his other shortcomings. If Jets HC Aaron Glenn wants to build a hard-nosed, gritty team, it’s fair to ask if Murray fits that mold. 

However, there are too many connections to Murray on the Jets’ coaching staff to ignore. New York TE coach Steve Heiden overlapped with Murray in Arizona, as did WR coach Shawn Jefferson and assistant OL coach Brian Natkin. All three were there when Murray was at his best earlier in his career, and will have a good idea of whether or not that’s repeatable for the Jets. 

Thanks to their trade deadline activity, the Jets have no shortage of assets to go get whatever quarterback they want, both in terms of draft picks and potential cap space. What’s interesting is that the Jets could take a shot on Murray and still have all five first-round picks to either make another big swing if things don’t work out or to really accelerate the build around Murray if it does. In a year without a surefire No. 1 pick at quarterback (yet), that course of action could be appealing. 

Longshots

These are teams that might be looking for a quarterback but don’t appear to be good fits for Murray, at least on paper

The Steelers have the same culture fit concerns as the Jets, but without the same depth of coaching connections. 

The Browns need a long-term quarterback but the acquisition cost for Murray is going to be too high, both in terms of draft picks and salary, as Cleveland continues to sort through its big miss on the Deshaun Watson trade. If HC Kevin Stefanski remains in charge, there are major scheme questions too, as he runs essentially the same offense as Petzing in Arizona. 

The Raiders gave QB Geno Smith guaranteed money that runs through 2026 but they can get out of that deal if they want at the end of this season. Whether HC Pete Carroll wants to make that switch is an open question. Raiders GM John Spytek and president Tom Brady have less allegiance to Smith, but might not be big enough fans of Murray to sign off on a trade.