Insider reveals if Cardinals regret Kyler Murray decision amid Jacoby Brissett uncertainty

The Arizona Cardinals unceremoniously parted ways with quarterback Kyler Murray earlier this offseason, and he ultimately put pen to paper on a team-friendly contract to join the Minnesota Vikings. 

Meanwhile, first-year Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur is now dealing with an awkward situation that involves assumed Arizona QB1 Jacoby Brissett staying away from the team during voluntary offseason practices amid Brissett's desire for a pay raise. Thus, some have wondered if the Cardinals are wishing they had Murray atop their depth chart this spring. 

For a mailbag published on Wednesday, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated suggested that Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort has no regrets about showing Murray the door. 

"No way" Cardinals were moving forward with Kyler Murray on their roster

"I think the Cardinals were moving on from Kyler Murray regardless," Breer wrote. "Monti Ossenfort didn’t draft or extend Murray, and he gave him a three-year test drive, and regardless of whom you assign blame to for it, it didn’t work out. As such, there was no way they were going forward with Murray on that contract. And given the 2026 quarterback class, the conscious decision was made to make this a bridge year at QB."

Back in the summer of 2022, the Cardinals signed Murray to a five-year contract extension reportedly worth $230.5M with $160M guaranteed. The first pick of the 2019 NFL Draft ultimately notched zero playoff wins during his Arizona tenure, and he most recently made just five starts last season before he was shut down because of a foot injury.

Are Cardinals punting on 2026 with 2027 draft in mind?

The expectation is that Brissett will eventually return to the Cardinals and start over fellow journeyman Gardner Minshew II and rookie Carson Beck. That said, Breer is among those who think Arizona's long-term replacement for Murray isn't on the roster this spring. 

"That doesn’t mean Carson Beck won’t blow them away and change the plan," Breer added about the Cardinals, "or that they won’t be a little better than expected this year, and not see the right opportunity in next year’s draft. But it feels to me like they essentially punted to 2027, which was the right move, albeit one that’ll have some variables that might affect it."

Some feel the Cleveland Browns are also among the teams already dreaming about quarterback prospects who should be available in the 2027 draft class. The Cardinals may have more questions than answers regarding their quarterback situation heading into the first week of June, but it sounds like Ossenfort decided to move on from Murray long before that transaction became official.