The Arizona Cardinals are ready to usher in a new era.
After announcing their plans to release former No.1 overall pick Kyler Murray when the new NFL season begins on March 11, the Cardinals are now on the hunt for a new name to take their place under center.
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Kyler Murray’s time in Arizona has come to an endCredit: Getty
Who that will be is yet to be determined, but it is very possible that the Cardinals could once again look to the 2026 NFL Draft in search of a quarterback who they hope will become a stalwart that they can build their franchise around.
One name that appears to have caught the eye of Arizona is Ty Simpson.
The 6-foot-2, 211 lbs signal caller is ranked No. 2 at his position behind Indiana Hoosiers superstar and 2025 Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza.
“Fernando Mendoza is almost certainly out of reach as the presumptive number one pick, but Simpson could be available with the Cardinals’ second-round pick or via trade into the back of the first round,” Theo Mackie of The Arizona Republic wrote.
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While Mackie touts the possibility that the Cardinals could trade back up into the first round in order to try and get Simpson, as it stands, the Cardinals’ second pick comes in the second round with the No. 34 overall.
However, there is no guarantee that Simpson would still be available by thenamid reports that the Cleveland Browns could be interested in drafting him, with the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers other teams thought to be in the mix.
Even the Los Angeles Rams are thinking ahead to life post-Matthew Stafford, and have identified Simpson as a potential replacement at quarterback who could be their next franchise star.
This comes despite his comments at the NFL Scouting Combine, where he said, “I would love to be a Cardinal. I think they’re a great organization, they’ve got a young team.”
The Cardinals could, of course, use their third overall pick to take Simpson, but there is some expectation that the Alabama star could be available lower down the board, with Arizona projected to take Texas Tech edge David Bailey, according to ESPN’s latest mock draft.
Simpson likened to NY Giants QB Jaxson Dart
CBS Sports’ Edwards feels that Simpson could enter the league in a similar manner to Jaxson Dart.
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Alabama QB Ty Simpson is expected to be highly sought-afterCredit: Getty
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The Cardinals have shown interest in Simpson, but he may be off the board before they can select himCredit: Getty
The former USC and Ole Miss QB didn’t necessarily leap off the page prior to the draft, but somehow appealed to the New York Giants so much so that they traded back up into the first round to take him with the 25th overall pick in 2025.
“A year ago, Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart was not viewed as a first-round caliber prospect, but he endeared himself to the Giants and they traded back into the first round to select him,” he added.
“NFL coaches are the eternal optimists believing they can cultivate the best version of any player. They have seen Simpson play at a high level even if it was a small sample size.”
While Simpson will undoubtedly be one of the top quarterbacks taken off the board, to which team he will land with is anyone’s guess.
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Jaxson Dart endeared himself to the NY Giants that they traded up to get him in the 2025 NFL DraftCredit: GettySimpson’s sample size is small
Simpson spent all four years of his college football career in Tuscaloosa, though only became the starter in 2025 after Jalen Milroe departed for the NFL.
In his junior year for the Crimson Tide, the 23-year-old threw for 3,567 yards and 28 touchdowns at a 64.5 percent pass completion rate, while firing just five interceptions in 15 outings.
Despite being in a high-profile collegiate program known for its winning pedigree over the years, Simpson enters the draft lacking the elite physical traits of arm talent and athleticism that many scouts value with their top draft picks.
“Simpson is 23 years old with essentially one year of coaching experience. In that lone season, his play was volatile, but that could be attributed to injuries with which he had been dealing,” Josh Edwards of CBS Sports wrote.
“Simpson did not do athletic testing nor is he all that impressive physically, but the ball looked really good coming out of his hand in Indianapolis and the ball placement was exceptional in almost every route.
“As more time passes, it has become easier to talk myself into Simpson as a first-round pick. One, the position carries a premium that may require a team to take him in the first round.
“Two, the quarterback is the son of Tennessee-Martin head coach Jason Simpson so he will likely thrive when it comes to interviewing teams and speaking through the white board. It only takes one team to take that chance on him.
As for Murray, his next destination is also still to be determined.
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But a stunning return to Major League Baseball isn’t entirely off the cards, with the former University of Oklahoma multi-sport star having been selected by The Athletics with the ninth overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft.
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