The noise surrounding the Arizona Cardinals and their future with quarterback Kyler Murray has grown louder as the 2025 season draws to a close. ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler reported that many around the league believe Murray has played his final snap for Arizona, which raises larger questions about the direction of the franchise and the job security of Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon.
Fowler said Gannon is on the radar of people who track coaching changes, though he added that opinions remain mixed on whether team owner Michael Bidwill will take action. The Cardinals remain the odd team out in a strong NFC West, and their lack of progress has frustrated many within the organization. Gannon is 15 and 29 in his third year and has never been able to select a young quarterback to develop.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano added that the sense he gets is that Cardinals leadership plans to stay the course with Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort, allowing them to pick their own quarterback. The improved play of Jacoby Brissett has given the team confidence in its structure despite seven losses in an eight-game stretch.
The Cardinals moving on from Kyler Murray won't be easy
Murray’s contract remains the largest obstacle to a clean separation. NFL agent Joel Corry outlined the financial fallout if Arizona cuts or trades him. A trade would leave more than fifteen million in dead money but create significant future cap relief. Cutting him would result in one of the largest dead cap charges in league history.
The Cardinals remain three games below five hundred and sit at the bottom of the division. They have shown flashes of strong offense under Brissett, yet sloppy and undisciplined play has repeatedly cost them wins. Arizona committed a franchise record of seventeen penalties in a recent loss to San Francisco despite outgaining the 49ers by more than two hundred yards.
Gannon has accepted blame for the lack of execution, but the pressure on him grows with each disappointing result. As Murray’s future dominates the conversation, the franchise must soon decide if Gannon will be part of its next chapter.
