The Arizona Cardinals benched quarterback Kyler Murray this week, placing him on injured reserve to create a clearer path for Jacoby Brissett to take over as the start. Now amid recent reports out of Arizona, it’s evident that Murray’s tenure with the Cardinals will likely be over in a matter of months.
Following reporting by ESPN‘s Adam Schefter that Murray’s future with the franchise is bleak, with the two sides expected to discuss his future, it’s time to start thinking about potential landing spots for him. While he hasn’t recaptured the form we saw a few seasons ago, there would still be a strong market of suitors.
New York Jets
Kyler Murray Landing Spots
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Kyler Murray almost feels destined to land with the Jets next season. New York could spend one of its first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft on a quarterback, but the upcoming crop of prospects doesn’t exactly inspire confidence. Instead, general manager Darren Mougey can use the team’s draft capital to keep building a supporting cast for his future franchise quarterback. Until then, Murray is the perfect bridge starter. He’s a much better passer than Justin Fields and his dual-threat ability fits perfectly in offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand’s system. New York would be providing him with a No. 1 receiver in Garrett Wilson and an emerging weapon at tight end in Mason Taylor. Plus, the Jets offensive line has a few building blocks in Olu Fashanu and Armand Membou to help Murray out in pass protection. The Jets should be viewed as the favorites for Murray.
Las Vegas Raiders
Kyler Murray Landing Spots, Las Vegas Raiders
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While the Las Vegas Raiders traded for Geno Smith and then signed him to a $75 million contract extension this offseason, there’s a path to getting out of the contract. According to Spotrac, cutting Smith next offseason would free up $8 million in cap space with an $18 million dead cap. That creates an opening for Murray to be the Raiders starting quarterback in 2026, and he’d walk into a familiar situation, with an elite pass-catching tight end (Brock Bowers) being the centerpiece of the passing game. Furthermore, Murray’s dual-threat ability in a backfield with Ashton Jeanty would pair nicely in Chip Kelly’s offense. It would be an opportunity for Las Vegas to take on a bit of a reclamation project, while Murray gets a change of scenery on a team that offers two great supporting stars in the offense.
Carolina Panthers
Kyler Murray Landing Spots
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The Carolina Panthers have a winning record (5-4) in November and have a realistic shot at eight-plus wins for the first time since 2017. However, that doesn’t mean Bryce Young is playing particularly well. Entering Week 10, he ranks 24th in ESPN QBR (44.8), 32nd in yards per attempt (5.7), and 26th in EPA per Play (0.042). Dave Canales has gotten all he can out of Young at this point. The Panthers head coach has to recognize that Murray offers more physical talents, even being the same size as Young. Carolina has improved this season, but it must take another step forward in 2026. Canales maximized Young, and we have every reason to believe he could help Murray return to the form we saw from 2020-23 when he had a 93.7 QB rating, 74-34 TD-INT line, and completed 67.4 percent of his passes.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Kyler Murray Landing Spots
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People questioned if, after everything that went down with New York, Aaron Rodgers could acclimate to the culture Mike Tomlin has maintained for the Pittsburgh Steelers. It’s been seamless. So, while Kyler Murray’s persona might not seem like a great fit for the Steelers, Tomlin’s history and the importance of getting a second chance to keep his career going would seem like enough for Murray to lock in on football. Bringing Rodgers back would be the better outcome for Pittsburgh, but the future Hall of Famer seems locked in on retiring. So, the Steelers roll with another bridge quarterback and see if play-caller Arthur Smith can design his offense to maximize Murray’s strengths.
Miami Dolphins
Kyler Murray Landing Spots
Mickey Welsh
Maybe an outside-the-box scenario needs to be considered for both the Cardinals and Miami Dolphins. Arizona is having success with Brissett, who gets the football out quickly and accurately. However, he’s been a career backup quarterback for a reason. If the Cardinals front office doesn’t feel confident in its options from the 2026 NFL Draft, perhaps a quarterback swap with Miami could be an option.
Tagovailoa would get a fresh start, and Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing would get a quarterback who plays within his system and gets the football out on time. Meanwhile, Miami gets to see if bringing Murray to Miami and putting him in an offense with De’Von Achane and Jaylen Waddle can get him back to playing at a high level. If it doesn’t work out, both franchises could move on from the quarterbacks the following spring.
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Matt Johnson is Senior Editor of NFL and College Football for Sportsnaut. His work, including weekly NFL and college ... More about Matt Johnson