The quietest, longest divorce in NFL history just got noisy. Things just got messy. And it’s going to cost the Cardinals any realistic chance of trading Kyler Murray.
The polarizing quarterback has not spoken to Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort since the end of the regular season, according to a published report on ESPN.com. That is not surprising. But it’s a very important detail for the public domain, one the team has been dancing around for weeks while attempting to breathe life into a ruse, trying to convince the rest of the NFL that they might just keep the former No. 1 overall draft pick.
Truth is, Murray was gone a long time ago. He also has a player-friendly contract negotiated in the buzz and precedent set by the daffy Cleveland Browns, who broke code and fully guaranteed a massive contract for quarterback Deshaun Watson in March 2022. Four months later, Murray’s agent came calling, demanding a new deal.
The Cardinals owe Murray $36.8 million in guaranteed money for the 2026 season. They will owe him another $19.5 million in guaranteed money for 2027 if he’s still on the team’s roster on March 15. The clock is ticking fast.
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And at the most inopportune time, it appears someone in Murray’s camp felt compelled to tell ESPN about the zero communication and radio silence between the team’s GM and its highest-paid player. It confirms a relationship that has gone sour. It reveals the convenient mistruth peddled by the Cardinals, where they want potential suitors to believe that “everything is on the table.”
Now, that game is over. If Murray were truly an option for 2026, Ossenfort would’ve had that conversation with him. If Murray were truly an option, he would have officially welcomed the arrival of new head coach Mike LaFleur. The rest of the NFL now understands the Cardinals have been bluffing all along. As they likely suspected, given the awkward turn of events.
Technically, the Cardinals could trade Murray without his blessing, to a franchise not of his choice. But what team would acquire a player with Murray’s contract and petulant past without some guarantee of his future happiness?
Look at recent history. Murray reportedly injured his foot while taking a direct snap off the cage of his helmet during a crash-out game against the Tennessee Titans. It happened during a play when he didn’t dive for the fumbled football in front of him. He disappeared into a blue tent and never played another down, an inglorious end to his career in Arizona.
At one point, he seemed to get better physically. He practiced with the team and seemed primed for a return on Monday Night Football in his home state of Texas. Instead, he lost his job to Jacoby Brissett, and the calculus changed. And right after the trade deadline expired, Murray went on injured reserve. He would miss 12 games with an injury nobody could identify in real time.
That suggests a player who refused to return to the Cardinals as a backup quarterback, unwilling to fight for a starting job for the first time in his career; or that a deal was cut between team and player, a private agreement to part ways peacefully, without fuss or slander.
Now, the Cardinals will likely be forced to cut Murray and absorb salary cap ramifications. Granted, the penalties will not be severe for an Arizona franchise that rarely spends anywhere near the ceiling. But if Murray gets to handpick his next team (Minnesota Vikings), if he gets back to the playoffs before the Cardinals, it will be a tremendous embarrassment. And it will be the second grand slam for Murray’s agent, Erik Burkhardt, in as many at bats against Arizona pitching.
That will be a hard swallow. Let’s hope our next franchise quarterback turns out a little better.
Reach Bickley at dbickley@arizonasports.com. Listen to Bickley & Marotta mornings from 6-10 a.m. on Arizona Sports.
Follow @danbickley
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