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The Arizona Cardinals’ decision to keep Jacoby Brissett under center for another week has ignited speculation about quarterback Kyler Murray’s future — and whether the Miami Dolphins or New York Jets could emerge as offseason trade suitors.
Head coach Jonathan Gannon confirmed Brissett would start again in Week 10 against the Seattle Seahawks (6–2) on Sunday, November 9 at 4:05 p.m. ET on CBS. The Cardinals (3–5) have cited Murray’s lingering foot injury as the reason for his continued absence, though Arizona’s offense has shown improved rhythm with Brissett leading the huddle.
In their latest piece for ESPN, Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano wrote:
“The Kyler Murray situation in Arizona got more interesting Tuesday when coach Jonathan Gannon announced that Jacoby Brissett would get another start in Week 10. The reason the Cardinals continue to give is that Murray’s foot injury hasn’t fully healed, and that may be true. But it’s also true that the Arizona offense is performing better with Brissett at QB than it was with Murray. And that creates a conundrum if that continues to be the case.”
The pair also outlined how Arizona’s long-term direction could shape a pivotal offseason decision:
“The Cardinals are in last place in the ridiculously competitive NFC West in Year 3 of Gannon’s tenure. But the growing sense around the league is that, even if they miss the playoffs and get to the end of the season without Murray proving he can be their QB of the future, the Cardinals are likely to give Gannon and GM Monti Ossenfort a chance to stick around and pick their own QB. (Murray was in place and signed long-term when they got there.) That would mean moving on from Murray and his contract, which is a little bit tricky.”
Fowler and Graziano detailed the financial implications of any move involving Murray, who carries $36.8 million in fully guaranteed salary for 2026 and another $19.5 million guaranteed in 2027 if he remains on the roster next March.
“There was no way Murray — injured and not playing especially well before the injury — was going to be traded before Tuesday’s deadline. Not with $36.8 million in fully guaranteed salary on the books for 2026 and another $19.5 million in 2027 salary that guarantees next March. But if at the end of the season the Cardinals still feel they’ve been better with Brissett than with Murray, they’ll surely consider a change. That would mean either absorbing some of the $36.8 million for 2026 or releasing Murray and taking on $54.7 million in dead money.”
They noted that the situation mirrors Denver’s bold reset under Sean Payton, adding:
“That’s a lot less than the $80 million the Broncos took on when they cut Russell Wilson in 2024, and the Broncos have a 17–10 record since then, made the playoffs last season and look to be headed that way again. So the dead money, again, isn’t...
