Insider Details Kyler Murray's Final Days With Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals and Kyler Murray's divorce has been finalized, and the two sides move into the future on very different paths.

For Murray, he's now with the Minnesota Vikings and hopes a one-year contract on minimal money can turn into something bigger. In Arizona, the Cardinals clearly have work to do in finding his long-term replacement.

There's been plenty said, theorized and gossiped on Murray's final days with the organization after he injured his foot in Week 5 and never saw the field again after. It was an odd finish for the former No. 1 overall pick, one that SI.com's Albert Breer finally shed a bit of clarity on:

Oct 5, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) is sacked by Tennessee Titans linebacker Jihad Ward (53) during the fourth quarter at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

Lost in the Cardinals' epic collapse against the Tennessee Titans in Week 5 was Murray's foot injury that saw him exit and re-enter action shortly after. That injury would effectively end Murray's career in Arizona, though it didn't happen immediately.

Breer said the foot swelled up but would only require a few weeks in terms of recovery with no surgery. The Cardinals saw better numbers with Jacoby Brissett under center without wins stacked in the record books, though a Monday Night Football upset victory in Dallas ensured Brissett essentially stamp himself as the guy moving into the rest of the season.

"Things got funky thereafter. Murray’s foot, still at around 60%, wasn’t getting better. He could play on it, but with a blood-flow issue, there’d be a risk of a more significant Lisfranc injury if he did. So the decision was made, the day after Gannon named Brissett the starter, to move Murray to injured reserve, to give him a month to heal," Breer said.

"That was Nov. 5. Exactly a month later, on Dec. 5, with the team 3–9, having lost four straight since Dallas, the Cardinals and Murray’s camp mutually agreed it made no sense not to shut him down."

The speculation around Murray and if he was benched as a result of the injury has practically been confirmed. While Arizona leaders such as Jonathan Gannon and Monti Ossenfort denied it in the moment, the public heavily believed Murray was capable of finishing out the 2025 season.

Nov 3, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) leaves the field after defeating the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Cardinals soon after fired Gannon, which "genuinely surprised" Murray according to Breer. While Murray reportedly did like the Mike LaFleur hire as a replacement, the writing was essentially on the wall with vague press conference comments made by both LaFleur and Ossenfort on Murray's future in the weeks leading to his departure.

"In the 24 hours before the negotiating window opened last Monday, Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill called Murray to let him know Arizona would release him at the start of the league year on Wednesday. The conversation was cordial," Breer continued.

"The team would wait out the two days before announcing anything, on the off chance that something changed on the market and someone came to them with a trade offer. And at 4 p.m. ET Wednesday, Murray was cut."

The end to Murray's chapter came with a few goodbye posts from the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback, gracious parting words from Ossenfort — and that's about it.

Now, Murray's in Minnesota in what felt like a pretty quick process once he finally hit the open market.