Why Cardinals could make massive Kyler Murray decision after 2025 season

Several NFL writers have suggested that the Arizona Cardinals could potentially part ways with starting quarterback Kyler Murray in early 2026 if he fails to impress during the upcoming campaign.

ESPN's Dan Graziano explained on Wednesday why some believe Murray is entering a critical season in Arizona. 

"His contract includes about $40M in 2026 salary and bonuses that are already fully guaranteed," Graziano wrote about Murray. "But there are no guarantees after 2026, and if Murray struggles with health and/or performance, it's not out of the question that the Cardinals could turn their attention to the future. They can cut Murray after 2026 with minimal dead money impact. If things got bad enough before then, cutting him next offseason would cost them about $58M — a lot, but also a manageable amount."

Neither Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort nor head coach Jonathan Gannon was with the organization when it signed Murray to a five-year extension reportedly worth $230.5M with $160M guaranteed in July 2022. Later that year, Murray went down with a serious knee injury in December that left him needing ACL surgery and some meniscus repair. He recently admitted that he just now feels he's where he was, physically speaking, before that setback. 

Cardinals personnel seemingly hope that building chemistry with second-year wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. will help Murray produce the best season of his career. That said, Murray hasn't yet notched a single playoff win since Arizona made him the first overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft. 

Earlier this month, The Athletic's Mike Sando revealed that a panel of six NFL general managers, six assistant general managers, six former general managers, five other executives, eight head coaches and 19 other coaches ranked Murray as the league's 15th-best quarterback for 2025. 

As of Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Cardinals at +115 betting odds to make the playoffs this season. It continues to sound like Arizona could embrace a franchise reset that would involve moving on from Murray if the club doesn't secure a playoff berth in 2025.