Cardinals May Have Just Lost Top Kyler Murray Trade Destination

If dominoes fall as expect, we can cross one team out of the Kyler Murray sweepstakes.

Oct 5, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) warms up before their game against the Tennessee Titans at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

ARIZONA — The NFL's coaching carousel has bigger domino effects than some may initially realize, and its latest news could have just eliminated a landing spot for Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray.

Murray, having just completed his seventh season in Arizona, has all eyes on him ahead of a 2026 offseason that's already been full of speculation surrounding his future with the organization as the Cardinals look to hire their third coach in five years.

The Atlanta Falcons, one of nine initial teams who needed a head coach this offseason, just inked Kevin Stefanski to fill that void.

And if his staff takes shape as expected, Murray likely won't be an option in Atlanta.

READ: Insider Sounds Alarm on Cardinals HC Search

Why Falcons Could Be Crossed Off Kyler Murray Trade List

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray watches his team from the sidelines as they play the San Francisco 49ers at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Nov. 16, 2025. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When head coaches take over a new organization, they typically tend to bring on familiar faces they've worked with in the sake of transition and cohesion within the overall structure of the staff.

For Stefanski, a two-time coach of the year with the Cleveland Browns, that could again be the case for his next stop in Atlanta with former Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing.

Petzing, who just had his contract expire with Arizona (and won't be coming back after Jonathan Gannon was sent packing) is now a free agent.

He has extensive coaching experience working under Stefanski thanks to prior stops in Cleveland and Minnesota and could be a top candidate to find a spot somewhere on Stefanski's new staff in Atlanta.

READ: First Finalist Emerges in Cardinals HC Hunt

Now, tying this to Murray, the Falcons' quarterback situation is even more unknown than Arizona's at this point in time.

Stefanski's prior experience with Kirk Cousins back in Minnesota could make him a candidate to return to the Vikings while the team still has questions around Michael Penix, which is only complicated by his season-ending ACL injury suffered back in Week 11.

Will the Falcons try to make things work with Cousins now that Stefanski is in the head seat? Or is a renaissance coming for Penix under Stefanski's guidance?

It seems as if Atlanta's quarterback options are now limited to its facility walls after previously being highly anticipated to explore the market, which Murray would have undoubtedly been at the top at.

Even if that were still the case, Petzing's potential presence would shut down any hope of Murray landing with the Falcons after the two clearly didn't mesh well in the desert.