Cardinals Dump $230.5 million quarterback, initiating another long rebuild

Coming out of Oklahoma, Murray was a two-way athlete excelling in baseball and football. While initially drafted to play in the MLB, Murray ultimately forwent his baseball career after his Heisman-winning campaign. With the Sooners, in 2018, he passed for over 4,000 yards, 42 TDs, and displayed his prowess in the ground game.

First overall pick

Following the infamous failure of Josh Rosen, Arizona was in position to take a shot at securing another hopeful franchise QB. With the first overall pick, they selected Murray, and expected him to lead their team to glory. There were some concerns regarding his stature, as he became the first ever signal-caller under 6 feet selected number one in the draft. Nevertheless, with Kliff Kingsbury leading the way, Murray was their guy.

Rookie Season

Murray’s rookie campaign was your average first year. He showed flashes, but was consistently brought down by the team around him. In Kliff Kingsbury’s air-raid offense, he totaled 3,722 passing yards and 20 TDs, while also putting up 544 yards on the ground. He concluded his rookie campaign with an AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award, showing promise for the franchise’s future.

2021 campaign

After a Pro-Bowl year where his squad went 8-8, Arizona was ready for a push in 2021. The team hit the ground running, and their success is seen in Murray’s numbers. In their undefeated start, Murray was unmatched as he amassed 2,002 yards and 17 TDs with just 5 INTs through the air. Unfortunately, injuries stymied his campaign, and the team as a whole failed to regain momentum after suffering their first loss of the season vs Green Bay. Murray and the Cardinals’ season concluded on Wild Card weekend, as the team went one-and-done against the Rams.

Contract extension

In the 2022 offseason, the Cardinals were adamant about keeping Murray long-term. So, they locked up their franchise guy to a five-year, $230.5 million contract extension. His AAV of $46.1 million put him behind just Aaron Rodgers in yearly salary, raising questions regarding his worth.

ACL tear

Fresh off of his new deal, Murray and the Cardinals went into 2022 with high expectations. They hoped that a collapse akin to the previous year would not be repeated. Sadly, the Cardinals didn’t get a shot at a collapse. Their season consisted of continuous disappointing showings, ending the campaign with a 4-13 record. Worst of all, come week 14 when the season was all but over, Murray sustained a non-contact injury and was carted off the field. News later came which confirmed the worst case scenario. Kyler Murray had torn his ACL.

Return in 2023

By the time Kyler Murray returned to the field, Arizona saw a brand new coat of paint. Jonathan Gannon was now leading the charge, and a lot of old faces parted ways with the team. Still, Murray had a job to do, and he made his first start since tearing his ACL in week 10. Though the season was all but lost at that point, Murray’s presence helped bring some clarity to the organization. There were plenty of talks surrounding his future with the franchise, and he delivered some gritty and memorable wins during this stretch.

The beginning of the end

2024 showed some promise, but the Cardinals ultimately failed to make the playoffs yet again. Regardless, their 8-9 finish did show signs of improvement. However, it put all the pressure on the team to actually find success the following year.

Unfortunately, the Cardinals failed to reach expectations. They seemed to be on the right track at first. Two wins and two losses were how the first four weeks played out, with those losses coming in close matches against playoff teams. Then, it came crashing down against Tennessee. The Titans were very clearly bottom feeders, and yet continuous gaffes handed Tennessee a win on a silver platter. Worst of all, Murray got hurt on a bizarre play where the snap hit his head. While no one knew it at the time, that snap would be the last one Murray would ever take as a Cardinal.

Arizona’s rebuild

Without Murray, the team made the win column just once the rest of the season. It was clear that whatever was present wasn’t working, so, upper management decided to hit the reset button. Jonathan Gannon’s firing was the first move which signaled yet another rebuild for the team. They then pivoted and hired Mike Lafleur, who would be a big part of the decision regarding Kyler Murray’s future with the organization.

Murray’s release

On March 11th of 2026, the Cardinals released their franchise QB, ending his seven-year tenure. By releasing him prior to June 1st, the team is obligated to pay him $36.8 million as part of his guarantees. Had they released him with a post June 1st designation, the dead cap would seep into 2027. The Cardinals want to get their rebuild on track, and it starts by cutting ties with one of their better signal-callers in recent history.

Murray’s future

As a signal-caller with a proven track record and tons of talent, Murray had plenty of callers. His choice was Minnesota, a team that somehow managed to carve out a winning season in 2025 despite fielding one of the worst QB rooms in recent history. Murray will get a chance at becoming the starter during a QB battle in the summer. Now, he’ll play with perhaps the best supporting cast he’s ever had in his career. If he’s able to secure the starting gig, there’s a good chance he’ll be in Minnesota for quite some time.