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Kyler Murray seems destined to leave the Cardinals this offseason, but his exit isn’t so cut and dry.
The Arizona Cardinals‘ offseason could hinge on how they gett out of Kyler Murray’s contract. Ideally, the Cardinals would prefer to trade the seven-year veteran, as they would save $34.7 million in cap space. But there could be a scenario in which they can’t, which could create problems.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer went on The Herd to discuss Murray’s trade market with show host Colin Cowherd. Breer mentioned the Minnesota Vikings as a destination, given the work they did with Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones in 2024. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell proposed a trade involving the New York Jets, who are desperate for a quarterback this offseason.
However, the NFL insider thinks a Murray trade isn’t so cut and dry.
“What complicates it is the contract. Kyler’s got $36.8 million guaranteed this year and then another $19.5 million next year. That complicates trading for him; that complicates cutting him. I think you see the way that splits up, and I think it probably makes it more likely that Arizona flat out has to move off that. Cut him and let him go to the market.”
“It probably makes it more likely that Arizona just flat out has to move off of him and cut him…”
@colincowherd and @AlbertBreer talk about what will happen with Cardinals QB Kyler Murray
The $19.5 million guarantee Breer talks about becomes guaranteed on the fifth day of the new league year, which is March 15. While teams could try to re-negotiate the deal as part of the trade, there isn’t an incentive for Murray to do so. Not with future guaranteed money kicking in while that contract is still in place.
With too many moving parts required to execute a trade, teams may prefer to wait out the Cardinals. That is bad news for the Cardinals, as they would take a massive cap hit if they release Murray this offseason.
What Would Cutting Kyler Murray Mean for the Cardinals
Murray is on the books at a $52.6 million cap hit, according to overthecap.com. If they release him before March 15, all the dead money hits their 2026 cap, and they lose $2.05 million in space.
A post-June 1 cut would lower the cap hit to $47.5 million, creating $5.142 million in cap space. That seems the likely route the Cardinals will take if they can’t find a trade partner. That also means that Murray will have a $7.2 million cap hit for the 2027 season.
The Cardinals are between a rock and a hard place in deciding Murray’s exit from the team. A trade would give them a huge cap relief, allowing them to spend more aggressively in free agency. However, if they’re forced to release the seven-year starter, it could turn the 2026 season into a complete reset.
The Cardinals have some other veterans that they could release to create cap room. James Conner, Sean Murphy-Bunting, Bilal Nichols, and Dalvin Tomlinson are all cut candidates this offseason. Cutting the four veterans would save Arizona over $30 million in cap space.
Team owner Michael Bidwill cited the team’s losing streak as a reason to move on from Jonathan Gannon. Regardless of how the 2026 season plays out, the spectre of Kyler Murray will be hanging over the Cardinals. If Arizona is forced to eat the contract to move on this offseason, that limits what they can do in free agency. And that could mean a rough 2026 season for Bidwill, general manager Monti Ossenfort, and new head coach Mike LaFleur.
Michael McDermott Michael McDermott is a writer at Heavy Sports covering the Arizona Diamondbacks and Major League Baseball. Michael has 10 years experience writing about the D-backs and their farm system for AZ Snake Pit, Burn City Sports, and Diamondbacks On SI. More about Michael McDermott
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