NFL writer offers 'bold prediction' regarding Kyler Murray's future with Cardinals

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray first became the subject of trade rumors before he signed a five-year contract extension reportedly worth $230.5M with $160M guaranteed in the summer of 2022. 

As part of a piece featuring "bold predictions" for the 2025 NFL season published on Wednesday, Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated shared why he feels that Murray "will play his final snaps for the Cardinals" during the upcoming campaign. 

"Murray’s dead cap number almost halves after this season," Orr explained. "The former No. 1 pick is not a bad quarterback, but the Cardinals will likely conclude that the club has maximized Murray in Arizona and that it’s best to recoup some kind of draft asset before pivoting. Murray had a six-game stretch at the tail end of last season in which he failed to top 100 in quarterback rating, and he has played just one fully healthy season since 2020."

Most notably, Murray required ACL surgery that included some meniscus repair following a serious injury he suffered in December 2022. He didn't return to regular-season action until the following November, and he revealed earlier this offseason that he tweaked that knee in Week 1 of the 2024 campaign. 

Neither Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort nor head coach Jonathan Gannon was with Arizona when the club paid Murray roughly three years ago. Both have publicly been big Murray supporters during their time with the Cardinals, but the fact remains that the 27-year-old has zero career postseason wins on his NFL resume. 

Per Pro Football Reference stats, Murray ended the 2024 regular season ranked ninth in the NFL among qualified players with a 66.5 adjusted QBR and fifth with a 51.7 percent passing success rate. He also averaged a career-low 4.59 rushing attempts per game, but he acknowledged earlier this spring that he has "to run more" during the 2025 season. 

Perhaps second-year wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. adding some offseason weight will help him become a superstar target for Murray as the 2025 Cardinals reach the postseason. One wonders if Murray is facing a "playoffs or bust" mandate regarding his future with the club that made him the first overall pick of the 2019 draft.