Why 'wild' Panthers, Cardinals QB swap idea could make sense

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young and Arizona Cardinals starter Kyler Murray could both be entering make-or-break seasons regarding their futures with their current teams. 

Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports suggested in a piece about "wild NBA-style trade proposals for the NFL" that the Panthers could eventually acquire Murray from the Cardinals in exchange for Young and a 2026 third-round draft pick.

"Murray may still be eyeing a true breakout, but he fits the profile of a (Carolina head coach) Dave Canales project as a gifted but unsteady veteran," Benjamin explained. "Canales, remember, all but got the Panthers job thanks to his revival of both Geno Smith (as quarterbacks coach with the Seattle Seahawks) and Baker Mayfield (as offensive coordinator with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers). And Arizona? They're still finding their bearings under (head coach) Jonathan Gannon, so is it really that much of a risk to go from Murray to Young, who ended 2024 with conviction? Maybe a move to the desert could truly spark his growth."

Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated is among those who think the Cardinals could part ways with Murray next offseason, and ESPN's Brooke Pryor recently noted that the Pittsburgh Steelers could look to acquire Murray before the 2026 draft gets underway. Neither Gannon nor general manager Monti Ossenfort was with Arizona when the club signed Murray to a five-year contract extension reportedly worth $230.5M with $160M guaranteed in the summer of 2022. As for Murray, the first pick of the 2019 draft has zero career postseason wins on his resume. 

Meanwhile, Canales was working for the Buccaneers when Carolina selected Young first overall in the 2023 draft. Canales benched Young due to poor play after Week 2 of last season, and Young returned to the lineup for Carolina's Week 8 game versus the Denver Broncos only because Andy Dalton suffered a sprained thumb in a car accident. While Young completed 61.8 percent of his passes for 2,104 yards with 15 touchdowns and six interceptions across his last 10 starts of the campaign, the Panthers won only four of those games. 

It's hardly a stretch to believe both Young and Murray could have different NFL homes at this time in 2026 if they finish the 2025 season with losing records. Neither the Panthers nor the Cardinals should want to consider Benjamin's trade idea ahead of training camp. Still, his proposal could make sense if both clubs decide in early January that they'd like to go in different directions regarding the sport's most important position.