Barring a miraculous turnaround in the desert, the writing could be on the wall for quarterback Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals.
The former No. 1 overall pick hasn’t exactly played up to the standard of his draft position and, by the end of Monday night’s meeting with the Dallas Cowboys, will have already missed three games this season due to injury.
Internal conversations regarding whether or not the Cardinals should move on from the 28-year-old are already being entertained.
Adam Schefter Offers Intel on Cardinals’ QB Conundrum
In his appearance on the “Pat McAfee Show” Monday morning, ESPN’s Adam Schefter seemed to cast a gloomy cloud over the Cardinals’ quarterback dilemma. Nothing is set in stone quite yet, but there’s still a possibility that Murray’s seventh season in Arizona could be his last.
“It’s in question right now because Jacoby Brissett has played well,” Schefter said. Brissett is in line to start his third consecutive game at quarterback for the Cardinals as he attempts to snap the team’s five-game losing streak. He’s played well in Murray’s stead, completing over 64% of his passes for 599 yards, four touchdowns and a single interception.
“I think the future for Kyler Murray in Arizona is in question right now..
Both sides are probably gonna have to sit down at the end of the season and figure out what’s best..
It could be an interesting offseason in Arizona”@AdamSchefter #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/ilr49JhdsY
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 3, 2025
Another strong showing under the primetime lights of “Monday Night Football” could make the noise surrounding Murray’s future even louder.
“Their general manager Monti Ossenfort and their head coach Jonathan Gannon, neither of them drafted Kyler Murray,” Schefter said. “He’s got $36.9 million dollars of guaranteed money due next year. There’s a question where both sides are probably going to have to sit down at the end of the season and figure out what’s best and in both sides’ best interests. This is sometehing you’re just waiting to see.”
Could the Trade Deadline Spur Action in Arizona?
The league-wide trade deadline falls on Tuesday, Nov. 4. If the Cardinals intend to shop Murray elsewhere in what would be a stunning decision that rocks the quarterback landscape, they’d have to move quickly. It’s unlikely, and Murray would also have to pass a physical with the team acquiring him for the trade to be made official. It’s no guarantee he can do that at the moment, as he’s set to miss his third consecutive game with a foot injury.
The Cardinals have just one playoff appearance with Murray at the helm. They lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card round in January of 2022, only generating 11 points against their NFC West rivals.
Murray signed a five-year contract extension with the Cardinals in the summer of 2022 that tied him to the team through the 2028 campaign. That could complicate matters if the Cardinals were to trade him, but despite some of his shortcomings, Murray has still shown that he has the makings of a franchise quarterback.
Inheriting that contract would be a small price to pay if a head coach or general manager deems him as an ideal fit for the offense they’re trying to run.
In the five games he’s played this season, Murray has led the Cardinals to a 2-3 record while completing 68.3% of his passes for 962 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions. He’s also rushed for 173 yards and a touchdown. Murray has a PFSN QB Impact score of 75.2, while Brissett is at 82.9, hovering between Matthew Stafford and Justin Herbert.