Cardinals Running Out of Free Agent QB Options

If the Arizona Cardinals are truly in the market for finding a potential plug-in for Kyler Murray in free agency, time is ticking.

The Arizona Cardinals are sorting through a handful of issues that this offseason promised to deliver on. 

Turning around a previous 4-13 football team under a new front office and coaching staff was already a tough task. Replacing a retired J.J. Watt and your two top free agents in Byron Murphy/Zach Allen only added to the to-do list while finding a potential trade partner for DeAndre Hopkins has kept everybody busy at the facility in Tempe. 

Yet an underrated issue is finding a replacement for Kyler Murray, who by all accounts will not be ready for the beginning of the 2023 regular season. Head coach Jonathan Gannon is adamant he won't rush Murray back, confirming a report earlier in the offseason from NFL Media's Ian Rapoport that Murray himself wasn't going to try and rush back from a torn ACL/meniscus. 

There's been some suggestions that Murray may not be ready until the halfway point of the season, which amplifies the need for a strong presence at quarterback until he's able to confidently take the field again. 

As of now, Colt McCoy is the lone quarterback under Murray on the roster. McCoy will be 37-years-old by the regular season and had what was described as a minor procedure done this offseason - no other info was made available. 

Under a new coaching staff, there's been thought that another quarterback would be brought in to (at minimum) compete with McCoy. 

Thus far, 17 free agent quarterbacks have signed deals this offseason. Though the Cardinals weren't entertaining the thought of a player such as Derek Carr and Jimmy Garoppolo, they did miss out on a few quality backups to fill in for Murray while he recovers:

Taylor Heinicke (two-year, $14 million with Atlanta)

Andy Dalton (two-year, $10 million with Carolina)

Jacoby Brissett (one-year, $8 million with Washington)

Case Keenum (two-year, $6.25 million with Houston)

Marcus Mariota (one-year, $5 million with Philadelphia)

Gardner Minshew (one-year, $3.5 million with Indianapolis)

Other quarterbacks that have signed include Jarrett Stidham, Mike White, Cooper Rush, Phillip Walker, Sam Darnold, Drew Lock, Baker Mayfield, Nick Mullens and Kyle Allen.

The Cardinals still have a few different options available on the open market:

Carson Wentz

Matt Ryan

Teddy Bridgewater

Brian Hoyer

Other options could include Mason Rudolph, Joe Flacco and Brandon Allen among others. 

The Cardinals are running out of time to add a veteran passer for 2023 to hold Arizona over until Murray returns. 

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