The Arizona Cardinals endured another disappointing season in 2025, finishing with a 3-14 record. As a result, head coach Jonathan Gannon was fired, and the team is looking for a new head coach.
Could the team be looking for a new quarterback as well? Kyler Murray played in just five games in 2025, and it seems increasingly likely the team will move on. In fact, the latest mock draft has the Cardinals selecting a talented quarterback from the SEC in the 2026 draft.
Mock Draft Has Cardinals Snagging Garrett Nussmeier in 2026 Draft
In 2025, Murray was limited to just five games, throwing for 962 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions. PFSN QB Impact ranked Murray with a 75.3 grade for his abbreviated campaign, which placed him 21st out of 48 qualified passers.
A new head coach could want a new quarterback, though, and PFSN’s Trevor Ritchie has the Cardinals selecting LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier in the third round.
This time last season, Nussmeier was frequently floated as a top draft prospect. However, the passer had a down 2025 season and was limited to nine games. Nussmeier threw for 1,927 yards with 12 touchdowns and five interceptions in 2025.
Nussmeier’s best season came in 2024 when he threw for 4,052 yards with 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The LSU product has 57 career touchdowns, with 52 through the air and five on the ground, and 7,699 passing yards.
In Ritchie’s mock, three quarterbacks go ahead of Nussmeier: Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, Oregon’s Dante Moore, and Alabama’s Ty Simpson.
If the Cardinals do decide to draft a quarterback, it will be interesting to see what happens with Murray. Murray is under contract through 2027 and has a club option for 2028. If the team trades him before June 1, they could save over $35 million against the cap while incurring just under $18 million in dead money.
Murray is still just 28 years old, and some other teams would likely have interest in the passer as a reclamation project.
Cardinals Will Look Much Different in 2026
The Cardinals have not been to the playoffs since the 2021 season, when they lost in the Wild Card round. Hiring a new coach and quarterback could be the change the franchise needs to turn things around, finally.
The team is currently slated to have the No. 3 pick in the 2026 draft, which should entice potential head coach candidates. The team also boasts some exciting young players, including Marvin Harrison Jr., Trey McBride, and Josh Sweat.
The team received a grade of 71.4 from the PFSN Offense Impact ranking and a grade of 65.0 from the PFSN Defense Impact ranking in 2025.
