Latest Kyler Murray Rumors Reveal Preferred Offseason Plans as Cardinals Grow 'Frustrated' With QB

Kyler Murray's future is very much up in the air, but a split with the Arizona Cardinals is reportedly the one thing that is certain.

Ralph Vacchiano and Henry McKenna of Fox Sports reported Wednesday that Murray and the NFC West team "are headed for a breakup" with the method of that split what needs to be determined.

Murray's side wants the Cardinals to release him so he can enter a free agency class that is not exactly loaded with franchise-altering quarterbacks, per Fox Sports. Malik Willis may be the top free agent quarterback available at this point, so it wouldn't be a stretch to suggest Murray would generate plenty of interest.

Yet, the report also noted Arizona is "frustrated" with the quarterback with "questions about his work ethic" and "his quiet personality" being points of contention. There are also concerns about his durability after he suffered a torn ACL in 2022 and missed 12 games last season because of a sprained foot.

Part of what makes him so dangerous on the field is his mobility, but one source told Vacchiano and McKenna that is "shot" after his injuries.

Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort said, "all options are on the table for us," but the financial situation will surely factor into the eventual decision. 

A trade would be ideal for Arizona, as ESPN's Adam Schefter explained it would create $34.7 million in cap savings with $17.9 million in dead money. His contract currently features $36.8 million in guarantees for 2026 with another $19.5 million of his 2027 base salary set to become guaranteed if he is still on the roster on March 15.

Releasing him before June 1, which seems to be what the quarterback wants, would mean the Cardinals being stuck with a $54.7 million dead cap hit. Making him a post-June 1 cut would at least spread that out over two years.

Murray's urgency to hit the open market makes sense.

In addition to the lack of headliner free agents, this year's draft class is not considered particularly strong at the position. Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, who is widely expected to go No. 1 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders, and Alabama's Ty Simpson are the only quarterbacks ranked in the top 50 in the most recent big board of prospects from B/R's NFL Scouting Department.

Without many quality options to generate competition, Murray could be in line for quite the contract this offseason from a quarterback-needy team if he does hit free agency.

But the Cardinals first have to make a decision on how they are going to proceed with what feels like an inevitable breakup.