Cardinals Trading Kyler Murray Would be 'Surprise'

The Arizona Cardinals are expected to keep Kyler Murray by a handful of people - including ESPN's Bill Barnwell.

ARIZONA -- With two weeks remaining in the 2023 regular season, the Arizona Cardinals are nearly done with their evaluation of quarterback Kyler Murray post-ACL tear.

Plenty has changed since Murray played his final snap in 2022, most notably the roster, coaching staff and front office among other differences. 

Scheme. Play-calling. Responsibilities. It's all been a different experience for the former Heisman winner, and an uphill battle while learning everything on the go. 

There was plenty of talk and speculation surrounding Murray's future in Arizona after general manager Monti Ossenfort and head coach Jonathan Gannon took over last offseason. 

That chatter likely won't go away as we enter the 2024 offseason, though according to ESPN senior analyst Bill Barnwell, it'd be a surprise to see Murray elsewhere. 

In his recent deep dive into 13 different NFL quarterback situations - Arizona being one - he spoke on Murray and what could come of his future:

"The good news is Murray looks healthy after suffering a serious knee injury a year ago. His best start of the season was likely his first, when he threw for 249 yards and added 33 rushing yards and a touchdown in a 25-23 victory over the Falcons," he wrote before exploring Murray's numbers, which have been less than stellar. 

"To be fair, he has added 155 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. He also doesn't exactly have great receivers; Marquise Brown has been banged up for the entirety of Murray's run, while Michael Wilson missed several weeks before returning in Week 15."

Then, the contract. 

Murray's massive extension is set to kick in in 2024, which will see his cap number jump from $16 million to nearly $52 million next year. 

With Arizona having ample cap space, the Cardinals are in position to take in massive amounts of cash (if needed) to free Murray off the roster, start anew with a young passer coming through the draft and build from there. 

Barnwell highlights the fallacy in that train of thought:

"There's also no guarantee the guy the Cardinals draft would be better than Murray. Ossenfort could hold onto his current starter and either grab a key player at another position or trade that top-five pick for multiple first-rounders if a quarterback-needy team wants to move up," wrote Barnwell. 

"We just saw him drop down as part of the Will Anderson Jr. deal last April, yielding picks from the Texans (including an extra first-rounder in 2024). Obviously, a lot depends on what happens over the next few weeks and how this new regime feels about the quarterback they inherited from the prior one."

There's truly a sense of mystery when it comes to what Arizona could do. All options are on the table, though it feels like the Cardinals are more likely than not to retain Murray at this point in time.

Barnwell seems to agree.

"I would be surprised if the Cardinals moved on from Murray," he wrote. "But if they do, it would be for a quarterback in the top 10 of the draft."

For what it's worth, Barnwell isn't exactly a noted insider, though he's one of the more respected names in the industry for a reason.

The Cardinals are currently slated to have the No. 2 pick in the draft, though that could change pending results the rest of the way. 

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