Despite the Arizona Cardinals‘ best efforts, the growing consensus here at the 2026 NFL Combine is that the team will likely be forced to outright release quarterback Kyler Murray prior to or shortly after the start of the new league year.
General Manager Monti Ossenfort, who was predictably mum on the subject during Tuesday’s press availability, has been casually shopping Murray since last season’s trade deadline. While Murray remains an intriguing option for any regime in need of a starter, the cap commitments required to deal for the former Pro Bowler appear too daunting for any club. Most notably, Murray’s 2027 guaranteed trigger of $19.5 million for the 2027 season that becomes fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2026 new league year.
“I’d say all options are on the table for us,” said Ossenfort on Tuesday. “We’ve got Kyler (Murray), Jacoby (Brissett), Kedon (Slovis) all under contract.”
Cardinals Likely to Cut Kyler Murray
The Cardinals will need to move quickly on any Murray scenario, with a decision likely to happen prior to the legal tampering window. This would allow the club to then pivot to the likes of a Malik Willis or a Kirk Cousins, the latter of whom is also expected to be released prior to the start of the new league year. Willis remains a hot commodity in an otherwise shallow pool of free agent options. While Ossenfort declined to comment on Willis the player, expectation here in Indy remains that the Cardinals will pursue the soon-to-be 27-year-old signal-caller.
With speculation that Willis could earn up to $30 million per season, Arizona would need to be comfortable committing over $80 million (Murray’s dead cap hit included) to the quarterback position in 2026. While that figure is a jarring one, so is the idea of yet another lost season especially if you’re Ossenfort. While new head coach Mike LaFleur gets settled into his role with the club, Ossenfort is under the gun to make franchise changing moves in an effort to climb out of a 15-36 hole. The same can’t be said for the new regime in Miami, who appear to be closer to the 2023 Cardinals game plan as opposed to where they sit currently.
Yet that didn’t stop new Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan from making waves in his opening combine presser.
“Any team in a quarterback-needy situation that tells you they’re not talking about Malik Willis, that would be a lie.”
Ossenfort, who sports only two wins from Cardinals quarterbacks not named Kyler Murray during his tenure, cannot afford another dismal season similar to that of 2023 and 2025. Much to the chagrin of some pro-“tankers” among the fan base, the team has every intention of trying to field a winning club this season. While there’s no guarantee that Willis could transform the Cardinals into a contender, the belief among those in Indy is that the former third-round pick is poised for resurgence after working with Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur.
For Ossenfort, in a make-or-break season, there are worse routes to take.
