Sportsnaut
The Arizona Cardinals benched quarterback Kyler Murray this week, placing him on injured reserve to create a clearer path for Jacoby Brissett to take over as the start. Now amid recent reports out of Arizona, it’s evident that Murray’s tenure with the Cardinals will likely be over in a matter of months.
Following reporting by ESPN‘s Adam Schefter that Murray’s future with the franchise is bleak, with the two sides expected to discuss his future, it’s time to start thinking about potential landing spots for him. While he hasn’t recaptured the form we saw a few seasons ago, there would still be a strong market of suitors.
Kyler Murray almost feels destined to land with the Jets next season. New York could spend one of its first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft on a quarterback, but the upcoming crop of prospects doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. Instead, general manager Darren Mougey can use the team’s draft capital to keep building a supporting cast for his future franchise quarterback. Until then, Murray is the perfect bridge starter. He’s a much better passer than Justin Fields and his dual-threat ability fits perfectly in offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand’s system. New York would be providing him with a No. 1 receiver in Garrett Wilson and an emerging weapon at tight end in Mason Taylor. Plus, the Jets offensive line has a few building blocks in Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou to help Murray out in pass protection. The Jets should be viewed as the favorites for Murray.
While the Las Vegas Raiders traded for Geno Smith and then signed him to a $75 million contract extension this offseason, there’s a path to getting out of the contract. According to Spotrac, cutting Smith next offseason would free up $8 million in cap space with an $18 million dead cap. That creates an opening for Murray to be the Raiders starting quarterback in 2026, and he’d walk into a familiar situation, with an elite pass-catching tight end (Brock Bowers) being the centerpiece of the passing game. Furthermore, Murray’s dual-threat ability in a backfield with Ashton Jeanty would pair nicely in Chip Kelly’s offense. It would be an opportunity for Las Vegas to take on a bit of a reclamation project, while Murray gets a change of scenery on a team that offers two great supporting stars in the offense.
The Carolina Panthers have a winning record (5-4) in November and have a realistic shot at eight-plus wins for the first time since 2017. However, that doesn’t mean Bryce Young is playing particularly well. Entering Week 10, he ranks 24th in ESPN QBR (44.8), 32nd in yards per attempt (5.7), and 26th in EPA per Play (0.042). Dave Canales has gotten all he can out of Young at this point. The Panthers head coach has to recognize that Murray offers more physical talents, even being the same size as Young. Carolina has improved this season, but...
