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As the Arizona Cardinals explore their options at quarterback, Kyler Murray hopes to land in a spot that allows him to compete for a playoff spot in 2026.
Appearing on the Saturday morning episode of SportsCenter, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler explained that the expectation around the league is Murray will be traded or released with mid-March seen as a potential deadline due to the financial triggers in his contract:
“This is certainly one to watch. He would be one of the top quarterbacks available via trade or release if that goes down, and most around the league do expect that to go down, and he’ll be available. He’s got the high guarantees of nearly $40 million, all of that triggers by mid-March. So, they have to come to a resolution here in the coming weeks. He wants to go to a winner, that’s what he wants. So, you figure maybe Minnesota could be an option for him. We’ll see what happens.”
The five-year, $230.5 million extension Murray signed in July 2022 is structured so that a portion of his salary for the following year guarantees if he is on the roster for the fifth day of the current league year.
For instance, Murray is already guaranteed $22.8 million in 2026 because he was on the Cardinals roster for the fifth day of the 2025 league year. He will be guaranteed $19.5 million in 2027 on March 16.
Trading Murray would be the best option for the Cardinals, both for the financial relief and ability to add draft capital. They would save $34.7 million against the 2026 cap if he is traded prior to June 1.
If the Cardinals can’t find a trade partner and they have to release Murray, it would seem likely to be with a post-June 1 designation. A pre-June 1 release would come with a $54.7 million dead cap charge in 2026.
It’s been expected that Arizona will move on from Murray, particularly after new head coach Mike LaFleur was noncommittal about him remaining as the starter during his introductory press conference.
The Minnesota Vikings seem like a team that will be connected to very starting-caliber veteran quarterback who might be available. It has previously been reported they want to bring in someone who can at least compete with J.J. McCarthy, if not win the starting job outright.
Murray’s value is likely at its lowest point right now since he entered the NFL. The 28-year-old threw for 962 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions in five starts for Arizona last season.
He didn’t play after Week 5 due to a foot injury and has missed at least six games due to injuries in three of the past four seasons.