The Pittsburgh Steelers might be able to convince Aaron Rodgers to remain in the NFL beyond 2025 following what he strongly indicated would be his last season earlier this year, but eventually the franchise must put a succession plan in place.
An opportunity to do so may be materializing out west, where the Arizona Cardinals just put two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Kyler Murray on injured reserve (IR). While he will sit for the next four games with a foot injury, strong rumors are swirling that the Cardinals prefer backup signal-caller Jacoby Brissett to Murray, at least for now.
“Murray is the starter, and he’s being paid accordingly. Brissett, however, is playing better than Murray did. With Murray injured (but, we’re told, healing), the Cardinals can kick the can by saying Brissett is healthy and Murray isn’t,” Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wrote Wednesday.
“Then there’s the question of whether Murray will even be on the team in 2026. It feels as if a divorce is coming, possibly in the form of a trade. If the Cardinals officially bench a healthy Murray, that will make it harder to maximize the return.”
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Moe Moton of Bleacher Report took that notion and ran with it, predicting Murray will be traded and land with either the Pittsburgh Steelers, Carolina Panthers or Las Vegas Raiders in return for multiple first-round picks.
“General manager Monti Ossenfort will need to make a crucial decision on Murray’s future in the offseason, and it could result in a blockbuster quarterback trade. Remember, the Cardinals’ current regime inherited Murray from the previous administration,” Moton wrote Thursday. “If the Cardinals trade Murray, the two-time Pro Bowler should fetch multiple first-rounders because of his accolades at the most valuable position in the sport.”
Murray is playing on a five-year deal worth $230 million that keeps him under contract through 2028. He has thrown for nearly 20,500 passing yards, 121 touchdowns and 60 interceptions across his seven-year career. He has also rushed for nearly 3,200 yards and 32 scores.
At just 28 years old, Murray should still have several good seasons remaining. However, he is undersized for the position at 5-foot-10 and just over 200 pounds, per Pro Football Reference. He also has something of a troubling injury history after missing 18 games over the past four seasons and three already in 2025, with at least four more coming.
Pittsburgh won’t have a high pick in the 2026 draft and will likely continue to add around Rodgers should he return next season rather than begin making moves toward a rebuild. The Steelers could also substitute Murray in for Rodgers and follow the same plan if the latter retires or if the franchise feels the need to seize on an opportunity to trade for a good, but imperfect, quarterback in Murray as its best long-term option.
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