The Arizona Cardinals are one of the NFL teams that are facing some big issues at the quarterback position next year. Kyler Murray is still under contract, and they could decide to keep him, but given how last season ended, it feels like the Cardinals are ready to move on from Murray and start over at the position. With new head coach Mike LaFleur, the quarterback is the top priority.
ESPN NFL analyst Ben Solak did a deep dive on the quarterback-needy teams and what they should look to do in the offseason, and the Cardinals were on the list of teams that have a lot of interesting options in front of them. Solak thinks that Jimmy Garoppolo could be an option to follow LaFleur over from Los Angeles after he has been a backup there for the last few games.
Solak also speculated that the Cardinals will be in the market for Malik Willis or could draft Ty Simpson in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
It is also worth noting that the Cardinals still have Jacoby Brissett under contract for another year, and they could run it back with him as a bridge year and plan for the 2027 NFL Draft. The Cardinals have a lot of options in front of them, and it comes down to which quarterback LaFleur trusts the most to run his offense.
According to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, the Cardinals are actively seeking a trade partner for Murray, especially due to his contract. Cutting Murray outright would incur a dead cap hit north of $54.7 million. That would be the second-highest dead cap hit in NFL history, only behind Russell Wilson's $85 million cap hit after he was cut by the Denver Broncos in 2024.
A trade would save the Cardinals around $35 million, which is desperately needed as the team tries to overhaul its roster and rebuild, especially on offense.
If Jimmy Garoppolo joins the Cardinals, he would be a calming presence after sitting for the last two seasons behind Matthew Stafford and could help turn Arizona around.
