At least one NFL executive feels the Minnesota Vikings’ interest in Kyler Murray indicates the Arizona Cardinals could have traded the quarterback rather than taking on $55 million in dead cap in order to release him, according to The Athletic’s Mike Sando.
Murray ultimately joined the Vikings on a league-minimum $1.3 million deal with a no-tag clause shortly after the start of free agency.
The NFL executive told Sando they questioned why the Cardinals didn’t deal Murray to the New York Jets before cutting him.
“How were the Cardinals not able to trade him to the Jets, eat $35 million this year and then the Jets are on the hook for the $19.5 million next year?” the executive asked Sando. “That is basically two years at $25 million. The Jets would not have signed up for that?”
Murray was due $36.8 million in guaranteed money for next season. A trade would have left the Cardinals with a relatively limited $17.9 million in dead cap, per Over the Cap.
That deal would have likely needed to be completed before the fifth day of the 2026 league year, at which point Murray would have received another $19.5 million in salary guarantees.
The Jets ultimately found their next projected starting quarterback by acquiring Geno Smith from the Las Vegas Raiders just before he was expected to be released.
Trading for Smith rather than signing him required the Jets pay him $3.3 million rather than the $1.3 million veteran’s minimum, per Sports Illustrated‘s Albert Breer.
The Raiders are still paying out $16.2 million of Smith’s salary, and the move allowed the Jets to beat out another reportedly interested team in the Vikings, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini.
SNY’s Connor Hughes reported in on March 6, shortly after reports broke of Murray’s upcoming release, the Jets had “discussed” targeting Murray.
At that point, Murray was already “expected to sign with the Vikings,” according to Hughes. The Jets completed the trade for Smith five days later.
Both the Jets and Vikings will now hope to see their signings pay off with bounce-back seasons from their veteran quarterbacks, while the Raiders are turning to Kirk Cousins and potentially projected top draft pick Fernando Mendoza.
Who will be playing under center for the Cardinals next season remains up in the air. ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss reported in March that Arizona had yet to tell Jacoby Brissett whether he or Gardner Minshew will be starting in 2026.
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