The Arizona Cardinals may not be a lock to make the NFL playoffs this season, but they do appear to have a competitive roster. Wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is entering his second year and still seems to have a ton of potential, while running back James Conner and tight end Trey McBride add plenty of offensive firepower.
On the other side of the football, veterans Calais Campbell, Dalvin Tomlinson and Josh Sweat will look to improve a defense that was in the middle of the pack in 2024.
But of course, the Cardinals’ fortunes largely rest on the shoulders of quarterback Kyler Murray. While Murray has played relatively well in the past, not too many are convinced he’s the type of player whose team can win big games because of him rather than simply having him along for the ride.
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ESPN recently published a future power rankings article, in which Arizona was ranked 17th. Seth Walder, one of the contributors to that article, gave a shocking prediction about Murray’s future with the team.
“The Cardinals will trade quarterback Kyler Murray before the 2027 season,” Walder wrote. “After two seasons in which they are competitive but not threatening true contention, they will decide to deal Murray — who will have two non-guaranteed years left on his deal at that point — rather than extend him again. Arizona will recoup real draft capital in the deal from a team that will instantly upgrade at the most important position.”
Murray, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, won a slew of individual awards, including the Heisman Trophy, while throwing for 4,361 yards and 42 touchdowns and adding 1,001 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground as a senior at the University of Oklahoma. That year, he led the Sooners to an Orange Bowl appearance, and he also had an excellent season playing center field for their baseball team and was even drafted by Major League Baseball’s Oakland As.
Upon arriving in the NFL, Murray made the Pro Bowl in 2020 and 2021. But he tore his ACL during the 2022 campaign, and while he had a solid 2024 campaign, it has become apparent that he’s good but not great.
Kyler Murray #1 of the Arizona Cardinals walks across the field in the second quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at State Farm Stadium on December 08, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona.
Kyler Murray #1 of the Arizona Cardinals walks across the field in the second quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at State Farm Stadium on December 08, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona.
Norm Hall/Getty Images
Ultimately, his modest stature (he’s 5-foot-10 and 207 pounds) is likely what is holding him back in terms of becoming a championship-caliber signal-caller. While he can be a squirrel in the open field when he takes off to move the chains himself, his lack of height likely limits his field vision as a passer.
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In the last nine seasons, the Cardinals have had a winning record just once, made the playoffs only once and failed to win a single postseason game. If they are to become a competitive and respectable NFL franchise, they may have to make the type of hairy, audacious move Walder predicted.
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