PHOENIX — The Arizona Cardinals didn’t just move on from Kyler Murray; they set fire to his trade value and walked away with nothing. After a dismal 3-14 season in 2025, the organization officially released their former franchise centerpiece this spring, a move that has left rival executives scratching their heads. Instead of securing a mid-round pick for the two-time Pro Bowler, Arizona let him walk for free to the Minnesota Vikings, where he recently signed a one-year deal.
League insiders are pointing to a lack of foresight in how Arizona handled the quarterback’s exit. By benching Murray late in 2025 for veteran Jacoby Brissett, the Cardinals telegraphed their intentions to the entire league. This internal decision stripped general manager Monti Ossenfort of any leverage. Arizona was desperate to avoid a $19.5 million salary guarantee for 2027 that would have locked in this month. While they saved the cash, they lost the asset.
The numbers from 2025 tell a story of a fractured relationship. Murray started just five games, throwing for 962 yards and six touchdowns before a foot injury ended his season early. While Brissett put up respectable stats—3,366 yards and 23 touchdowns—the team still finished at the bottom of the NFC West. Rival execs argue that a team with this many holes shouldn’t be throwing away trade capital just to clean up a cap sheet.
You could feel the shift in the desert long before the paperwork was filed. Fans who once wore No. 1 jerseys with pride watched in silence as Murray became a spectator on his own sideline. The atmosphere at State Farm Stadium had turned clinical, almost cold, as the new regime under Mike LaFleur prepared for a total reset. It was a divorce everyone saw coming, but few expected it to be this messy.
“I feel like they could have done a lot of different things, but they chose not to. They just wanted him off the roster… They don’t have a good enough roster where that $19.5 million really matters. If you can get a third-round pick for him, that is well worth the risk.”
— Anonymous NFL Executive (via The Athletic)
The Cardinals are now effectively all-in on the 2026 NFL Draft. Holding the No. 3 overall pick in Pittsburgh later this month, Arizona is widely expected to hunt for a new franchise signal-caller. The current depth chart—featuring Brissett, Gardner Minshew, and Kedon Slovis—is a stopgap at best. LaFleur, a product of the Sean McVay coaching tree, needs a mobile, high-ceiling passer to make his system sing, but he’ll be starting from scratch with a rookie.
Meanwhile, the New York Jets, once thought to be a prime trade partner for Murray, pivoted to Geno Smith earlier this offseason. This left Arizona with no dance partners and a mounting pile of dead cap. The Cardinals took the “clean break” route, but in a league where draft picks are gold, this exit looks like a massive organizational whiff. Whether the 2026 season brings redemption or more scrutiny depends entirely on who they call to the podium on draft night.
