ARIZONA -- Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray enters his seventh and most pivotal season in the NFL.
Murray finds himself as one of the more polarizing figures in the state of Arizona thanks to both his wildly talented/stacked resume mixed with his inability to live up to the hype and expectations placed on him as a former No. 1 overall pick.
Murray has displayed his ability to play at a high level - though not quite consistent enough through the course of a season, and 2025 will be where we finally find answers on what Murray is as a quarterback.
When evaluating what could go right and wrong for each NFC quarterback, FOX Sports' Henry McKenna said tight end Trey McBride could help Murray find more red zone success.
When evaluating what could go wrong, McKenna says Murray could be traded.
"His contract is movable, and he’s proven to the league that he absolutely has the talent to be a QB1. But the Cardinals are likely expecting big things from this offense. Now entering his seventh season, Murray has never really exceeded expectations. That might finally be a problem this year."
Is Kyler Murray's Contract Movable?
So much chatter around the Cardinals and the potential of trading Murray revolves around his massive five-year, $230.5 million contract extension signed a few years ago.
Many believe Murray isn't able to be moved after the 2025 season, though that simply isn't true.
According to OverTheCap, the Cardinals can trade Murray (Pre-June 1) in 2026 and can save $35.3 million against the cap while eating just $17.9 million in dead cap.
To this point, figures such as general manager Monti Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon have defended Murray with every opportunity, showing their support for the franchise passer. Any speculation otherwise has been shot down promptly.
However, the Cardinals simply need Murray to take the next step this season, and they believe he's got the tools to do so with a revamped defense and same offensive group from last year in tact.
“I think the offense will take another jump. I do. We've got some guys coming off injury that are going to be back to help us out," Ossenfort told reporters after the draft.
"I think (TE) Trey (McBride) is still an ascending player. I think (WR) Marvin (Harrison Jr.), (WR) Michael Wilson, (WR) Greg Dortch, (WR) Zay Jones, (WR) Xavier Weaver, I think all those guys can take a jump in our offense. I think our offensive line played well last year.
"I think it's a good group. I think that the whole group's going to have a chance to ascend and build on what they did last year."
Many draft analysts believe next year's quarterback class is incredibly strong, though the Cardinals would have to struggle to dismal depths to place themselves in position to snag a top prospect.
You could also make the argument offensive coordinator Drew Petzing is more so on the hotseat than Murray, and out of the two figures in the desert, Petzing would be the first to go if changes were needed.
It doesn't feel like Murray - barring a dramatic downturn in play - will be out of Arizona after 2025, but that notion isn't 100% out of the realm of possibility.
English (US) ·