Should Texans Make a Trade for Kyler Murray?

Could the Houston Texans look into a trade for Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray this offseason?

It'd certainly be a bold move, perhaps even drastic. But it's an idea that should at least be on the table for the Texans in the eyes of former NFL offensive lineman-turned-FS1 analyst Willie Colon.

During a recent segment on First Things First, Colon made the case that the Texans could be the perfect team to trade for Kyler Murray, who's been at the center of trade rumors to get shipped off from Arizona in the early portion of this offseason.

"That team is the Houston Texans. Get rid of C.J. Stroud. It's a wrap," Colon said of which team should trade for Murray. "You have the number one defense in all of football. What lost you that game in New England? Keep it a buck. I felt they should have benched him in New England coming out of halftime. They had Davis Mills, who was winning them games in the regular season, and they said, 'No, we want to protect his ego. We want to make sure he's our leader."

"Damn that. You get Kyler Murray on the Houston Texans, if you can make that deal work, forget about it."

Such a swap between Arizona and Houston would be a huge curveball, and at this point in the offseason, is far from the most favorable outcome for either team to address their quarterback position for 2026.

But the proposal out of left field from Colon could at least be worth a discussion. There have been crazier deals to go down throughout NFL history, so maybe a Murray swap with H-Town can't be counted out entirely. But would that trade really make sense for the Texans?

Let's break it down:

Should the Texans Trade for Kyler Murray?

Both Arizona and Houston enter this offseason with big questions to be had under center.

For Arizona, they're heading into a new era led by head coach Mike LaFleur, and could be looking to find a fresh face at quarterback to pair with the offensive-minded guru. A Murray trade saves the Cardinals $34 million against the cap, and after an injury-plagued season, also turning 29 years old later this year, a split might just make the most sense for Arizona.

For the Texans, they can still keep their own franchise guy, C.J. Stroud, under contract with his rookie deal for the next two seasons. But after a couple of rocky years under center following a rockstar rookie campaign and a brutal playoff outing, committing to a long-term deal with him might present a bit more risk than initially thought.

If another signal caller with a solid ceiling, like Murray, were to come available for the Texans, pivoting from Stroud to avoid paying that new deal might make sense to keep their title window open, while also being able to lean on a quality quarterback, if they ever decided that Stroud wasn't their guy.

Oct 5, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) throws a pass against the Tennessee Titans during the second quarter at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

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There's at least a case to be made for the two sides to work something out for a Kyler for Stroud swap. But the biggest hurdle that sits between a deal actually happening is the financial implications in play.ay.

Murray has a much larger cap number over the next three years when compared to Stroud. For the three seasons ahead, Murray has a cap hit of $52.6M–$41.2-$46.3. The last two years of the deal aren't guaranteed, which provides added flexibility, but a much higher value than what the Texans' own signal-caller is due.

Stroud's cap hit for 2026 sits at a much lower $11.5M, and while his fifth-year option in 2027 would sit at upwards of $25 million, it's a clear difference between what the Cardinals' quarterback is due. Those dollars are especially valuable for a Texans front office that'll be forced to use a big chunk of their cap moving forward to keep their elite defense in-house.

So, if a Murray deal were to go down between the Texans and Cardinals, it would have to come with some extra incentive from Arizona's perspective. In reality, it doesn't make much sense to add tens of millions in cap for the older quarterback coming off an injury-riddled season, especially so if the move is reactionary after Stroud's poor playoff performance.

Stroud is still 24, under a great contract for the next two years, and even when factoring in potential extension discussions and a poor playoff end to this past season, betting on the former top-two pick for another year to turn things around makes more sense than taking a swing on another risky quarterback for his own reasons in Murray, who also comes at a higher price than Stroud.

If the Texans can find extra strong draft capital to package in addition to Murray for a swap for Stroud, the idea could be pondered upon Houston's front office a bit more than a strict one-for-one. But for now, Houston appears way more likely to run it back with their guy for one more year rather than make a major swap at quarterback like this one with the Cardinals.