Insider: Cardinals Could Draft Shedeur Sanders

Every year, the NFL Draft sprinkles in a surprise or two that leaves fans, media and teams around the league with their jaw on the floor - and the Arizona Cardinals could very well indulge the masses later this month.

All possibilities are open for the Cardinals with the sixteenth overall pick after a successful free agent period, and that includes Colorado Buffaloes QB Shedeur Sanders, according to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter.

On his own podcast, Schefter labeled the Cardinals as one of a handful of "wild card" teams to watch for Sanders once the draft is underway.

"I'm not telling you they're doing it. We're talking and imagining. I don't think it's likely, but I'm not completely dismissing it. I don't think Arizona is likely, but there have been questions about Kyler Murray," Schefter said.

"There have been questions about the owner not being a huge fan. What if, all of a sudden they take Shedeur Sanders, and it puts them in a position where they can move on from Kyler Murray?"

You can catch the comments around the 14:00 minute mark in the video below:

This, obviously, would provide one of the bigger shocks for a Cardinals draft in history for numerous reasons.

Arizona's regime of GM Monti Ossenfort and HC Jonathan Gannon have been very vocal on their support of Kyler Murray being their franchise quarterback.

"He is a top-level franchise quarterback, and he's played like that. He's shown that," Gannon said earlier this offseason.

Murray is entering his seventh year in the league and will carry a $43.3 million cap hit in 2025. That figure jumps to $53.2 million the year after. His $230.5 million contract is ninth in total value for all NFL players according to Spotrac.

The Cardinals have appeared in just one postseason game under Murray's guidance, which was a 34-11 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the 2022 playoffs.

Part of the frustration with Murray has been his consistency - considering he's frequently displayed the top-end talent the organization saw in him as a Heisman Trophy winner at Oklahoma.

However, his inconsistency reared its ugly head down the second half of 2024's schedule. Murray turned the ball over eight times in the final seven games as Arizona collapsed from their 6-4 start, ultimately missing the postseason after being in the driver's seat of the NFC West emerging out of their bye week.

If the Cardinals did indeed shock the world by selecting Sanders - mirroring the Atlanta Falcons last year when they drafted Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick - the Heisman finalist would likely sit his rookie season behind Murray.

From there, the organization would have a massive decision to make regarding Murray's future. Once the 2026 league year begins, OverTheCap shows the Cardinals would save $35.3 million against the cap if they traded Murray before June 1.

That would clear the way for Sanders to emerge as Arizona's next starting quarterback with one year of experience under his belt.

Sanders - who just turned 23 in February - played two seasons at Jackson State before following his father Deion Sanders to Colorado in 2023.

Last season, Sanders threw for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns to ten interceptions. He also rushed for four touchdowns on the ground.

Sanders is one of the more polarizing prospects of this draft class, as experts are divided on what sort of prospect he'll become once he steps foot in the NFL. He's viewed as the top pocket passer in his class but has concerns with delivery time and taking sacks.

There's no doubting the upcoming year is massive for Murray's overall outlook in the desert, and even if Schefter says he's not necessarily reporting it - Sanders to Arizona doesn't seem 100% out of the realm of possibility.