After a flurry of deals were announced on Monday, including quarterbacks like Tua Tagovailoa and Malik Willis, there’s one quarterback who hasn’t been picked up by another team yet: Kyler Murray.
We may have an answer as to why now, though, as the Minnesota Vikings appear to be the frontrunners for his services.
Mechanics Behind Kyler Murray’s Delayed Free Agency
Appearing on “Good Morning Football” on the NFL Network, NFL insider Ian Rapoport broke down what he called the “mechanics” of the situation with Murray versus other signal-callers.
From @GMFB: #AZCardinals QB Kyler Murray looms as one of the biggest names out there. pic.twitter.com/e2OpdIcE4g
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 10, 2026
He pointed out that the Dolphins took to X to say goodbye to Tagovailoa. In doing so, the Dolphins made it publicly known they were moving on from the former Alabama Crimson Tide signal-caller, who posted a PFSN QB impact score of 72.2 last season, which ranked 27th in the NFL.
Thank you for everything, Tua. pic.twitter.com/as4ZyV3nxN
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) March 9, 2026
In making those posts, Rapoport said that this essentially let other teams know it was OK to talk with Tagovailoa, even if he wasn’t “officially officially” released on the wire.
Then, he dug into what’s going on with Murray, explaining that since the Dolphins went public with their goodbyes for Tagovailoa, he could be treated as a free agent, even if it wasn’t necessarily official.
However, that hasn’t happened with Murray. Yes, Murray posted on social media saying goodbye to the Cardinals’ fan base, but the team hasn’t done so.
As for when Murray could start talking to teams, here’s what Rapoport said:
“I expect that to ramp up tomorrow when his release is official, but until and unless the Arizona Cardinals go public with their plans to say goodbye to Kyler Murray, he is stuck in a little bit of a limbo situation,” Rapoport said.
J.J. McCarthy’s Struggles Open the Door for Murray in Minnesota
Last season, the Vikings had J.J. McCarthy under center, and he posted a PFSN QB impact score of just 64.5, which was 37th in the NFL, behind guys like Joe Flacco, Spencer Rattler, Geno Smith, and Justin Fields.
PFSN’s Ryan Guthrie mentioned the Dolphins, Falcons, and Vikings as the top destinations for Murray. Now, with Tagovailoa signing with the Falcons and Willis landing in Miami, the only team left on his list is the Vikings.
Murray’s Unique Contract Situation
When Murray is officially released, he’ll still be paid out by the Cardinals; thus, he can sign with another team for the veteran minimum. This is similar to what happened with Russell Wilson and the Pittsburgh Steelers a couple of seasons ago when the Denver Broncos parted ways with him. This is also what’s going on with Tagovailoa and signing with the Atlanta Falcons.
So, it appears this isn’t an issue of negotiation or lack of interest, but rather of waiting for the proper steps to unfold.
It sounds like the Cardinals may wait until the official start of the new league year on Wednesday, March 11, but if they put out a post today similar to the one mentioned above about Tagovailoa, Murray can then begin talking with other teams.
