3 Brutally Honest Reactions to Cardinals Shutting Down Kyler Murray

ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals are shutting down quarterback Kyler Murray for the 2025 season, according to head coach Jonathan Gannon.

Murray, who hasn't played since Week 5 due to a mid-foot sprain, now has his future with the organization questioned even further after rumors and speculation have run rampant after the No. 1 overall pick puts his seventh season in the league behind him.

"Kyler will not play again this year. So he had some more tests done this week. Went out of state, got another opinion on it. It's not progressing where it's going to make sense that he can go. So he's going to be done for the year," said Gannon on Friday.

READ: Kyler Murray Sends Cryptic Message on Future

Arizona's head coach gave this one-word response when asked about Murray's season-ending injury:

"Disappointed."

Now, the Cardinals are set to play Jacoby Brissett the rest of their way while questions only rise on Murray's future in the desert.

Three honest observations on this whole ordeal:

1. Kyler Murray's Officially Done in Arizona

After seven years and multiple coaching staffs, we've seen all we can out of the former Heisman winner in the desert.

The Cardinals are sending a clear message by not bringing Murray back. They're protecting their most expensive asset by not risking further injury with Murray.

Whether Murray will be traded or cut remains to be seen -- there seems to be a split of opinions on what exactly that looks like.

READ: Larry Fitzgerald Speaks on Kyler Murray Future

However the cookie ultimately crumbles, it seems as if the process for moving on has started. The Cardinals have collected enough data and opinions to form their decision.

By ruling out Murray, they're ensuring he'll be ready for the following year and juiced up for whatever organization he'll land with next.

2. Immediate Replacements Aren't Ideal Options

Congrats! Kyler Murray is done with the Cardinals.

What now?

Arizona still has Jacoby Brissett under center moving into 2026, though it's clear he's nothing more than a bridge quarterback option for whoever the next quarterback will be under center.

What are those options like?

Not great, if we're eying the long haul here.

The free agent market for passers in 2026 is headlined by Daniel Jones, who surely won't be let out of the Colts' facility. Other top options are either on the brink of retirement (Aaron Rodgers), washed up (Russell Wilson) or a failed reclamation project (Zach Wilson, Trey Lance).

The trade market's biggest name would be Mac Jones, who thrived in San Francisco - but good luck prying him away from a division rival who truly could look to keep him for their own good. Anybody down for a Tua Tagovailoa or J.J. McCarthy swap?

Nope? Didn't think so.

The draft is an ideal scenario, though even if the top three quarterbacks in Fernando Mendoza, Ty Simpson and Dante Moore all declare, the Cardinals likely won't be in a position to draft them at whatever spot they're in - which is currently No. 8.

Ahead of the Cardinals are a few quarterback-needy teams, too -- which could make the leap even tougher into the top five for one of those passers.

Arizona's roster is too talented to secure a top three pick in a quarterback-friendly 2027 draft, too, so this could also be a roadblock entering next year.

Case in point, there's not exactly a guy of the future that's realistic for the Cardinals, who could be putting themselves in QB purgatory for the next couple of years.

3. Kyler Murray Still Has Talent and Should Play Well

For whatever reason, it just hasn't worked out in the desert.

Murray's spent his tenure with the Cardinals and has ridden highs and lows only mirrored by roller-coasters across the globe.

There's been plenty of discourse on Murray, though even through the ups and downs, he's still flashed that No. 1 overall pick talent.

He has deficiencies, surely, which led to his ultimate demise in Arizona. Kliff Kingsbury couldn't juggle OC/HC duties while Drew Petzing's system is massively more beneficial for a guy such as Brissett.

Murray's time in Arizona is up, but his career is far from done.