Kyler Murray’s trade market may have been non-existent, but his upcoming free agency might be a completely different story.
On Tuesday, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that the Arizona Cardinals informed Murray they intend to release him at the start of the 2026 league year next Wednesday, March 11.
The 2019 No. 1 overall pick started five games for the Cardinals in 2025, completing 68.3 percent of his pass attempts for 962 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions. His 192.4 passing yards per game were a career low.
Kyler Murray becomes arguably the top quarterback on the market
His lack of production and sizable salary commitment made trading for Murray an unattractive proposition for teams in the quarterback market. As insider Albert Breer recently noted, a trade would have effectively locked in Murray’s next team into a two-year, $79M commitment, a sizable amount for a player who has missed an average of six games per season since 2021 and only made one postseason appearance.
But by being released, any team signing Murray will get him at an enormous discount.
As ESPN NFL analyst Field Yates noted, with Murray already owed $36.5M by the Cards, he could sign a one-year minimum contract before potentially landing another lucrative deal next offseason following a successful comeback.
Yates mentioned the Pittsburgh Steelers signing Russell Wilson after he was released by the Denver Broncos as an example of a similar situation playing out previously, and the Steelers are one of several teams that could use a cheap, starting-caliber quarterback in 2026. That would also allow Pittsburgh to target other areas of need in the NFL Draft instead of reaching for Alabama’s Ty Simpson at No. 21.
The Minnesota Vikings, currently $46.5M over the 2026 salary cap, make perhaps the most logical sense for Murray’s next landing spot, although the Miami Dolphins could soon join them if they absorb Tua Tagovailoa’s dead cap hit of either $99.2 or $67.4M, depending on if he’s designated a post-June 1 release or not.
Tagovailoa is another quarterback who could potentially be had for cheap, but with a much more concerning injury history due to multiple concussions, he’s not nearly as intriguing an option as Murray.
The 2026 quarterback free-agent class isn’t very deep or, frankly, good, which could help Murray appear more attractive to suitors. The fact that they won’t break the bank signing him should only further entice teams.
Just because the Cardinals failed to find any takers doesn’t mean Murray is unwanted. A trade would have carried unnecessary risk. But as a free agent, any team signing Murray will have much less to lose while having the same amount to gain.