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Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray reacting in the middle of an NFL game against the San Francisco 49ers.
The New York Jets and Miami Dolphins are expected to battle against each other this offseason to acquire two-time Pro Bowl Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray.
“Arizona’s problem, as it tries to land a meaningful trade return for its quarterback, is that there aren’t many suitors for Murray because he will make more than $78 million between 2026 and 2027 before an opening to move on from his deal emerges in 2028. The Vikings aren’t in great salary cap shape. The Browns probably can’t afford to pay Murray and Deshaun Watson at the same time. The Falcons want to operate from under center. The Raiders are likely to draft a quarterback. The Colts will likely re-sign Daniel Jones. And Murray doesn’t seem like a good fit for what Mike McCarthy wants to do in the pocket with the Steelers,” ESPN’s Bill Barnwell explained in a column.
“That leaves the Dolphins and Jets, who once fought as the final two suitors in a potential offseason trade for receiver Tyreek Hill; he chose to join Miami,” Barnwell wrote.
Jets-Cardinals Trade Prediction
In 2022, Hill had his choice between the Jets and the Dolphins. The Kansas City Chiefs had come to terms on an agreement with both organizations on the compensation, and they let Hill choose where he wanted to go.
The Jets lost that off-the-field battle with their AFC East rivals, the Dolphins. This time around, Barnwell predicted that the Jets would come out on top.
New York Jets receive: quarterback Kyler Murray and a 2026 sixth-round pick
Arizona Cardinals receive: a 2026 fourth-round pick
“Swapping a Day 3 selection for a quarterback who ranked 14th in Total QBR over the past two years won’t hurt an organization that has a ton of draft capital after the Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner trades. Jets fans would love to add their quarterback of the future after seeing Sam Darnold thrive in Seattle, but they also haven’t had even league-average QB play in a season since Josh McCown put together a solid year for the Jets in 2017. With nearly $79 million in cap space, the Jets also have plenty of money to spend,” Barnwell wrote.
“The Cardinals would save $34 million on their 2026 cap and that $78 million or so in cash over the next two years if they trade Murray before June 1. It’s never fun to see the face of the franchise dealt for a Day 3 pick, but I would suspect that the new staff was interviewed and hired on the basis that the Cardinals wouldn’t be keeping Murray in Arizona for much longer. So, a Murray trade might be about landing the best available deal instead of waiting for the right one,” Barnwell added.
Risk It to Get the Biscuit
Is Murray better than anything the Jets have had at QB in a long time? Yes. Does that mean they should do this trade? Not necessarily.
There are plenty of red flags around Murray, which should give the Jets pause.
Questions about his work ethic have followed him throughout his professional career. ESPN’s Rich Cimini spoke to a former Murray teammate who warned the Jets not to add him this offseason.
If the Jets are going to pull the trigger on this QB move, they better investigate it thoroughly. Barnwell believes the Jets will do this trade because of desperation.
Aaron Glenn is on the hot seat and doesn’t currently have any short or long-term QB answers. Barnwell explained, “finding a veteran quarterback who can win a few games is critical.”
Paul Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he co-hosts a morning show, “The Manchild Show with Boy Green Digital.” Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY, and The Score 1260. More about Paul Esden Jr.
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