Why Cardinals QB Kyler Murray will remain the starter till 2027

The problem with Murray’s contract:

If the 28-year-old were to be cut or traded this season, there would be heaps of dead cap on the books. The Cardinals would have $65 million of dead cap to release Murray or $24 million to trade him. In 2026, the release number falls to $50 million, while the trade dead cap would increase to 27 million. It wouldn’t be until June 1st, 2027, that Arizona could cut or trade Murray for only $7 million in dead cap.

The franchise would be hindering its cap flexibility to offload Murray’s contract anytime before 2027. The Cardinals currently have $14 million in cap space, which jumps to $44 million next year. Arizona would be in the negatives if it chose to move on from Murray, putting a 2-5 team in an impossible position to improve the roster.

The New Orleans Saints are a prime example of what dead cap can do to a roster. New Orleans went from an around .500 team from 2021 to 2023 to being near the bottom for the past two seasons. The reason is the team has had a combined $150 million in dead cap for the last two years, hindering the front office from improving the roster.

To avoid being put in cap purgatory, Arizona will keep its franchise quarterback for a minimum of another season. The summer of 2027 will be the true turning point for the Cardinals on whether they want to keep Murray or look for a replacement.