Kyler Murray has not escaped offseason limbo with the Arizona Cardinals.
General manager Monti Ossenfort knows the hot topic around the franchise since hiring a new coach in Mike LaFleur is the state of the quarterback situation. Murray ended the season on injured reserve and Jacoby Brissett performed well. Both are under contract for 2026 along with Kedon Slovis.
“On top of your mind is our quarterback situation,” he said. “Here’s what I would say: All options are on the table for us. We’ve got Kyler, Jacoby, Kedon all under contract. … We’re going to look at every avenue to improve.”
Murray played only five games last season and could have a new home before his 29th birthday in August. Either way, he’s set to connect with a new head coach for the third time since being drafted first overall in 2019.
LaFleur wasn’t accustomed to attending the combine as an assistant coach with the division rival Rams, who leave the scouting exercises on the pre-draft circuit to area scouts and others under general manager Les Snead. When the Cardinals host prospects for interviews this week, LaFleur will be a part of the face-to-face conversations.
LaFleur has spoken with Murray, as has Ossenfort, and he said they are in agreement that improvement is the common ground for now.
“I’ve always had a good dialog with Kyler. I would say it wasn’t up to what Kyler wanted, it wasn’t up to what any of us wanted as a season as a whole,” Ossenfort said. “When you have the kind of year that we had, there’s a lot of room for improvement. We’ve got to find a way to do that. Not only at that position, but all positions. That’s what we’re all focused on. Getting better and moving forward.”
A timeline of the decision for the Cardinals is not entirely clear because Murray’s salary — $22.8 million in 2026 — is below-average for starters, but the full cash outlay from Arizona complicates when they might need to make their call on his future. Next month, he’s owed a $17 million roster bonus and a workout bonus of $1,857,500.
In the meantime, the Cardinals are window-shopping for other QB options and at multiple positions.
Ossenfort said Packers free agent quarterback Malik Willis is one of the players the Cardinals are evaluating. He was part of the Titans’ front office that drafted Willis.
The Cardinals hold the No. 3 pick in the draft and are mindful of finding the quarterback — whomever it might be in 2026 — more support.
“I’m open for taking the best player at our pick,” Ossenfort said. “There’s a lot of quarterbacks in this draft. We’ll continue to evaluate them.”
–Field Level Media
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