Ranking 5 Best Trade Fits for Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray

Kyler Murray seems all but certain to be on the move from the Arizona Cardinals, who are instilling a new regime under head coach Mike LaFleur. Murray's time with the Cardinals didn't stack up to the expectations he had as the top pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, but he was far from a bust.

At 28 years old, there's still plenty left in the tank for him to have a part two to his career with a new franchise. Of course, he could also play out his days as a journeyman.

Regardless, Murray still has value, and the NFL knows that. A trade from the Cardinals feels inevitable, and there are likely a slew of teams ready to contact Arizona to gauge his trade value. Among those teams are contenders, while others simply need placeholders. Neither the Cardinals nor Murray should mind, as a fresh start is best for everyone.

With so many teams seemingly in the hunt for a quarterback, who could be in on a trade for Murray? I have five teams that make the most sense, ranked from least to most likely below.

Before we get into it, I want to dispel any connections to the Miami Dolphins, who are likely moving on from their own franchise quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa. It doesn't make sense for them to move off one underachieving veteran for another, and it makes even less sense for the Cardinals to simply swap quarterbacks.

With that out of the way, let's start things off with a team that we aren't sure what to do with on a near-annual basis.

5. Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons' quarterback situation is truly fascinating. The team is releasing Kirk Cousins after shelling out a fortune for him just two offseasons ago. First-round pick Michael Penix Jr. is recovering from a major knee injury, which has been the story of his football career dating back to college. The team is also resetting under head coach Kevin Stefanski, which makes the outlook even more bleak.

No matter how long Penix is sidelined, one certainty for the Falcons is that their offense will be stagnant unless they find even a capable quarterback. The group has Bijan Robinson, Drake London, and Kyle Pitts at its disposal, which in theory should make life very simple for whoever is under center. Stefanski's offense is also very quarterback-friendly, which should only make things that much easier.

The roster as a whole looks good, with the defense turning into one of the NFL's most overlooked units last season. All things considered, one would think stability at quarterback should get the team back to the playoffs in perhaps the league's most volatile division in the NFC South.

That leads us to a potential move for Murray. The former top overall pick makes good sense for the Falcons, who are likely looking for a placeholder until Penix returns. The biggest issue here is money, considering what cutting Cousins is doing for the team. Murray does feel like a far better fit than Cousins and potentially even Penix for Stefanski's offense, given his mobility, which could lead to a possible marriage.

4. New York Jets

A move to the Jets would be nothing but a short-term answer. The state of the team is as dire as it ever has been, coming off one of the worst seasons in recent memory. The quarterback spot is far from certain, and the current roster is nowhere ready to contend for the playoffs, let alone a championship. It makes adding any quarterback outside of the NFL Draft a temporary move.

Still, there's plenty of dots to connect here for Murray to join Gang Green. This year's NFL Draft class is severely lacking in the quarterback department. After Fernando Mendoza goes first overall to the Las Vegas Raiders, it becomes a crapshoot. Ty Simpson could go Day 1 out of necessity, but the rest of the class feels like a bunch of long-term backups.

The Jets have tons of ammo in this year's draft to be aggressive in adding talent to this team, but the draft capital they have for 2027 could make them wait on a class with more intriguing options. That's not a bad proposition to consider, and it should at least have the Jets mulling it over.

Now, it's important to note that the front office and coaching staff may be pressured to win rather than tank. Should that be the case, Murray gives them the best chance to win more games than other options, while also keeping them in contention for a top pick. By trading for Murray, the Jets can effectively say, "We aren't throwing away 2026, but we do have our eyes out for 2027."

3. Pittsburgh Steelers

It's a new era for the Steelers after Mike Tomlin stepped down following a 19-year stint as the franchise's head coach. Mike McCarthy is running things now, and his first order of business is to figure out who is playing quarterback for the team in 2026.

Many are speculating that Pittsburgh could re-sign Aaron Rodgers after a solid 2025 season, and his connection with McCarthy helps that case. Cousins could also be a target with his pending release from the Falcons. Daniel Jones is also intriguing after a great 2025 season cut short by injury. Then there's the possibility of trading for Murray.

If nothing else, Murray is younger than those options, with far more athletic upside. Sure, Murray has been declining over the last few seasons, but how many Steelers quarterbacks can you name since Ben Roethlisberger retired that you would definitively take over him? The list is very small, at best.

If the Steelers believe that they're a quarterback away from a true championship run, which doesn't seem too far-fetched, then a move for Murray makes some sense. The team around him is good enough to win as long as he plays average, which has become second nature to Murray.

2. Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings believe that they have their franchise quarterback in JJ McCarthy, but he didn't provide much hope for the future in his first year seeing the field. McCarthy is already entering his third season in the league after missing his entire rookie year to injury. With that year to learn and 10 games of action, McCarthy's play thus far has been disappointing.

Max Brosmer is the only other quarterback on this roster, and he is far from deserving of a spot as of now. A reunion with Cousins makes sense, but adding a veteran quarterback, period, should be the Vikings' highest priority.

By adding Murray, Minnesota checks the veteran box off. Murray also provides something that the Vikings offense missed this season in a mobile quarterback. McCarthy showed good running ability, but he is nowhere near where Murray is. Sam Darnold strutted some solid movement during Minnesota's 14-win season in 2024, which was perhaps the best Vikings team we've seen under Kevin O'Connell. Perhaps a guy like Murray can get this team back into championship contention.

Just like for the Steelers, all Murray needs to do for the Vikings is be average. We've seen Murray play his best football with big-play wide receivers like DeAndre Hopkins, and Justin Jefferson is in that mold. With Jefferson's ability to bail out Murray, we could see him bounce back in Minnesota.

1. Indianapolis Colts

No team here needs a quarterback more than the Colts do. Unlike Pittsburgh and Minnesota, Indianapolis looked like a legitimate contender before Jones went down. Jones fit Shane Steichen's offense to a "T" and should be their top priority in free agency. This roster is good, but we saw them fall apart the moment their quarterback play dipped.

That makes adding a quarterback the team's biggest item on their to-do list and (again) makes retaining Jones an absolute must. But if they can't hold on to Jones, who could look for a new team willing to shell out more cash, then the options dry up quickly. It doesn't help their case that they are without a first-round pick for the next two drafts after going all-in at the trade deadline.

Something important to remember here is that Steichen's offense couldn't get things going until they added Jones, who was more than a good enough runner to open the offense up. Aside from Malik Willis, who is a major gamble to bet the franchise on, Indianapolis is staring at a very short list of capable options to contend.

Murray feels like the perfect fit for this offense. The way that Jones excelled reminded me plenty of how great Murray was in his first few seasons with the Cardinals. The Colts offense also has better weapons than Murray has seen in years, and Jonathan Taylor will power the best run game he's ever had. By adding Murray, the Colts ensure their offense doesn't drop off a cliff and they stay in the playoff hunt in a wide-open AFC South division.