Updated Landing Spots For Kyler Murray After Cardinals Release

The NFL new year has arrived and the Arizona Cardinals and quarterback Kyler Murray have officially parted ways. Murray's seven seasons with the franchise saw highs and lows that gave fans whiplash, but his departure paves the way for a fresh start for the former number one overall pick.

At just 28 years old, Murray still has a lot of football left in him, and he can still be a plus starter in the league with a change of scenery. He has a solid resume to show to teams, though his injury history is more than a little concerning. It shouldn't take long for Murray to find work, but finding the right spot isn't as easy.

Quarterback options are thinner than they've been in quite some time across the league, and a weak 2026 NFL Draft class won't make things better. It's forcing teams to get creative, and that creativity is shrinking the pool of potential landing spots for Murray.

Still, Murray has a few places that make plenty of sense to end up in, and perhaps a new team has opened up a path for him to follow. We will start with that team as we break down the three (currently) best remaining options for Murray.

Las Vegas Raiders

Could the Raiders really make a play for Murray? It isn't completely infeasible considering how wild they have been over the past few days. Las Vegas has spent well over $200 million in free agency to improve the roster. Notably, they traded away quarterback Geno Smith to make room for their eventual number one overall pick, Fernando Mendoza.

The trade leaves Aidan O'Connell as the lone quarterback on the roster, and he has a severe lack of experience with 17 starts in 21 games over three seasons. It wouldn't be in the worst interest of the team to add a veteran quarterback to the room to help ease Mendoza's transition to the pros, and Murray feels like the perfect guy to do it.

Murray's fit in a Klint Kubiak offense could allow the game to slow down for him with reliance being placed on the skill position players over the quarterback. That's a great scenario for Murray in the short-term, who can reinvent himself in Las Vegas.

Pittsburgh Steelers

We're all waiting for Aaron Rodgers to announce he is re-signing with the Steelers to run it back with a playoff team that hired his former head coach when he won a Super Bowl. The days keep passing, however, and we've yet to see significant progress toward this coming to fruition. Could Pittsburgh be forced to look in another direction?

There are several veterans on the market that make sense for Mike McCarthy's offense like Kirk Cousins, but it's fun to think about Murray's fit. In a best-case scenario, McCarthy could find a way to get Dak Prescott-type production out of Murray in an offense much better than what he had in Arizona. Pittsburgh also made some major upgrades to its offense following a trade for Michael Pittman Jr. and the free agent signing of Rico Dowdle.

As crazy as this is to think, Murray would be stepping into perhaps the best situation he's seen in a long time. The Steelers have a Super Bowl-winning head coach with over a decade's worth of winning seasons, in an offense surrounded by weapons and a defense that can carry the load. If the stars align here, Murray could find a comfortable landing spot in Pittsburgh.

Minnesota Vikings

Honestly, this pairing feels all but certain, and even those in the know with league sources seem to think as much. It's hard not to see why, too, considering the state of the Vikings as a whole.

Adding Murray to the roster already makes sense due to the severity of the drop-off in play from the quarterback spot from 2024 to 2025. J.J. McCarthy looked lost at times throughout essentially his rookie season, and the team lacked any options behind him once the injury bug crept in. Murray solves the depth issue, but he has every opportunity to start Week 1 for a team with no shortage of offensive firepower.

But Murray's addition to the roster goes beyond just a fit at quarterback. Under Kevin O'Connell, the Vikings have seen as much success as they have had since the turn of the century with some title-contending teams. Murray doesn't make Minnesota a heavyweight championship contender, but it does stabilize a position that held back a 9–8 team last year.

If the Vikings add Murray and can have him play as a game manager, there's plenty of reason to buy Minnesota as a sleeper team in the NFC.