Three ideal Kyler Murray trade destinations with Cardinals QB back in action

With a first-year general manager in Monti Ossenfort and a new coaching staff that has no prior loyalty to Murray, Arizona may have a shaky commitment to the former Heisman Trophy winner. With two projected top-10 picks in a draft class that includes blue-chip quarterback prospects Caleb Williams of Southern Cal and Drake Maye of North Carolina, the expectation around the league is that Arizona ultimately parts ways with Murray, per Dan Graziano of ESPN.

Here are three logical landing spots for the former top pick: 

Minnesota Vikings

Kirk Cousins is in the final year of his contract with the Vikings and slated to hit the open market this offseason. While the four-time Pro Bowler has been uber-productive — ranking second in the NFL with 1,679 passing yards this season — it has not led to much team success. 

Minnesota has not won a playoff game in three years and is third in the NFC North with a 2-4 record. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the 35-year-old Cousins won't waive his no-trade clause before this year's deadline. That likely won't stop the Vikings, however, from turning the page on the Cousins era following the conclusion of this season. 

With Cousins for the remainder of 2023, Minnesota should remain competitive, likely removing it from contention to select either Williams or Maye — and firmly placing the Vikings in the Murray sweepstakes. 

Atlanta Falcons

Despite shaky play at quarterback, Atlanta remains in the thick of the NFC South race. The Falcons are a half-game back of the first-place Tampa Bay Buccaneers and are a QB away from being considered legitimate playoff contenders. 

Second-year pro Desmond Ridder has proved he is not the answer at QB. Owning the NFL's ninth-worst QBR (40) this season, the former third-rounder has tossed as many interceptions (six) as touchdown passes and thrown for 201 yards or fewer in half of his games. 

More importantly, his faults have led to poor returns for two top-10 picks in the passing game. Wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts have combined for just two touchdown catches since Ridder took over as starter in Week 15 last season. 

Las Vegas Raiders 

Jimmy Garoppolo leads the NFL with eight interceptions despite ranking 30th in pass attempts (147). He's dealing with a back injury and has missed 32 games since 2017. Rookie Aidan O'Connell committed three turnovers in his first career start and was subsequently thrown under the bus by his head coach postgame. 

Wide receiver Davante Adams has grown increasingly frustrated, and rightfully so. The six-time Pro Bowler has five or fewer targets in each of the past two games and has cracked the century mark in receiving yards in a game just once this season. 

Las Vegas needs a quarterback who can get its playmakers consistently involved. In 2020, DeAndre Hopkins had the second-most targets in the NFL (160) with Murray as his quarterback. Plus, Murray's dual-threat abilities have fueled three top-10 rushing attacks in his four NFL seasons. 

While it would take more than just Garoppolo to acquire Murray, the former would be an ideal stopgap solution if Arizona selects a first-round quarterback in 2024. Current Cardinals starter Josh Dobbs is in the final year of his contract and could seek playing time elsewhere this offseason after a productive start to the year.