The biggest question hanging over the early days of Arizona Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur is how they will handle the impending departure of Kyler Murray.
Speaking on Wednesday, LaFleur was asked about Murray’s future, but the coach did not offer an answer.
“Just like everything else on the roster, open conversations in this building,” LaFleur said, via the team’s official website. “No time frame on that.”
March 15 – the fifth day of the NFL’s new league year – provides some semblance of a timeframe for the Cardinals. That date is when $19.5 million of the QB’s 2027 salary becomes guaranteed. Assuming he’s not in their long-term plans, the club will have to cut or trade the QB before that happens. Murray’s contract is set to hit $52.7 million against the salary cap in 2026. The team would get relief through a trade or could spread the dead money over two years by releasing him after June 1.
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport previously reported that Arizona was likely to move on from Murray.
The former No. 1 overall pick was usurped by Jacoby Brissett last season after an early season foot injury. The Cards never got Murray off IR, finally shutting him down for good in December.
The looming question is whether the Cards can find a trade partner or will simply be forced to release a QB. A trade, even for a mid to late rounder, would at least offer Arizona some return on its investment. However, so far there has been little interest in a club taking on that deal, especially for a player they know is destined to be a free agent. The more likely scenario is that Arizona is forced to cut Kyler, and he drafts Russell Wilson — who is playing on a minimum contract to prove himself in the league and hits the open market again in 2027.
At this low price, Murray would have significantly more value to a team looking for a veteran option – Dolphins, Jets, Vikings, etc.
LaFleur might not have a time frame for the decision, but the path forward is pretty clear. Barring a turnaround in the trade market, the Cards will stop releasing the veteran in the coming weeks before the 2027 salary guarantee begins.