The time may finally be running out for Kyler Murray in Arizona — and some around the league believe his final snaps with the Cardinals could come this season.
Murray, still just 27 and entering his seventh NFL season, has never quite made the leap expected of a former No. 1 overall pick. Though capable of highlight-reel plays and armed with rare athleticism, consistency and durability have kept him from fully elevating the franchise. And now, with a critical season ahead, the pressure is mounting — from both inside and outside the organization.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr, the Cardinals may already be preparing to close the book on the Murray era in 2025.
“Murray’s dead cap number almost halves after this season,” Orr wrote. “The former No. 1 pick is not a bad quarterback, but the Cardinals will likely conclude that the club has maximized Murray in Arizona and that it’s best to recoup some kind of draft asset before pivoting. Murray had a six-game stretch at the tail end of last season in which he failed to top 100 in quarterback rating, and he has played just one fully healthy season since 2020. While a lot of this is not Murray’s fault and is often the reality of playing for a team bad enough to qualify for the No. 1 pick, Arizona will prepare for larger-scale changes after finishing in the NFC West basement.”
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That prediction isn’t isolated. Fox Sports’ Henry McKenna recently tore into Murray’s trajectory — and his contract — calling it one of the NFL’s worst-aged deals and labeling Murray “overpaid.”
“He is as physically gifted as any player in the league,” McKenna wrote. “He plays with flair — even his scrambling is dramatic because of the way he runs. He makes highlight plays that are truly transcendent. But he can’t figure out how to convert those big plays into wins.”
McKenna went a step further, describing Murray as a “social media quarterback,” a label that implies style over substance.
“Unless he turns a corner with his decision-making and patience — this season — he might find himself on the hot seat in Arizona,” McKenna added.
Murray currently holds a 36-45-1 record as a starter. After returning from an ACL injury in 2023, he showed flashes of progress but still led the team to five losses in their final seven games. His passer rating dipped during a six-game stretch late in the year — an alarming sign for a franchise trying to turn the corner under head coach Jonathan Gannon.
Arizona has made just one playoff appearance with Murray at quarterback, a blowout Wild Card loss to the Rams in 2021. And though he’s locked into a five-year, $230 million deal, the team could finally have an easier path to separation after the 2025 season due to the cap structure.
The Cardinals’ roster is beginning to shift, with younger talent and future draft capital hinting at a larger rebuild. And if Murray doesn’t deliver a definitive turnaround this year, that pivot could come quickly — and decisively.